Scales: Red and Black
by BeastRage the Hunter
Summary: Slash and Llewellyn are two sisters living much closer than you would think in New York City. One day, everything's normal...the next: chaos! To flee S.H.I.E.L.D, Spiderman, and one crazy symbiote, they go to San Francisco, only to find someone new. Someone dark...
1. Normally choatic

Hi everybody! I know, I am starting a new story already. But I like writing. :/ Oh well. Warning all readers, my characters Slash and Llewellyn are both people I have played with before in previous stories. So don't be worried too much if things don't make sense, all will be revealed. I would still like to know if certain parts need fixing or GASP! complete editing to read. I do not own any Marvel or Spiderman characters, just Slash and L. Please review after you read this! I really like actually reviews, not just favoriting it. I would like know what you think about this, you know. Well, I'll stop talking now. Enjoy the story!

* * *

I am Llewellyn. Also called L by my friends. She is Slash. Also called monster by everybody else. We are sisters, almost-friends, used-to-be-enemies, sharing one body. How is that possible? I can't tell the whole story but I can share some with you.

Basically we come from somewhere else. Not here in this world. Another universe, I guess you could call it. There we were created by some scientists trying to make the ultimate weapon, a living one. As far as I know, they were aiming for a weak but smart human that could transform into a reptilian monster and back. Through those aims the monster would be controlled by its human self used as a leash. That was what they were aiming for. Instead they got: us.

We are two beings sharing a body since birth and both of us only learned about the others existence a few months ago. I am a normal human girl with improved healing, speed and strength. Reddish hair, hazel eyes, pale skin. Owning a smart mouth and a sharp dislike towards those who try to use me. She is a reptile humanoid, reddish scales, yellow eyes. Small wings for gliding, healing, speed, strength, claws...she pretty much got it all. Owns a hate for guys who chase us and ain't afraid to leave them hanging on the side of a skyscraper. Hate-love relationship with each other but somehow we survive.

Why we are here? Well, I'll just say it involved our allies wanting us to take a break after the war we were in ended. Expressed with pitchforks and torches. So hey, the two of us decided it was time to take a vacation. Used a small machine and poof! We're here, trying to learn the ways of this new world. New York City, here we come!

* * *

Stranger things have happened. But not here. New York is the place just to live if you enjoy millions of muggers, rude people, and various costumed weirdos that all try to take over the world. Or try to kill another costumed weirdo wearing red and blue that stops them every time. So yeah, it's pretty cool out here. Of course Slash disagrees with me.

_Hey! You said I could have a pick of where to go! _She complains in my head. _You did. You chose here. _I remind her. Silently of course. It wouldn't do to make all of the people around me think I was a nutjob. _That was before we knew what sort of crazies lived here. Before long you're gonna have to break your promise to keep me inside you and let me out. And when that happens, we'll be chased by those powered people wanting to kill us._ A mental smirk colors her words. _Not that I mind that. But you might. And I am not getting blamed for everything this time! _With her parting piece of wisdom, she withdraws to pout. Yeah, she was right. Yeah, it could happen sooner than later. Did I care? Nope.

First step when traveling across the worlds: find a place to stay. Second: blend in. Meaning I had to go to school like any average kid, even though I probably knew more stuff than others my age. Wouldn't do to get arrested. Even more so, it wouldn't do to take out the cop to get away. I got a nice apartment, one where the owner took credit cards. If it was required, I could cut loose. No real info for anyone. Except my name. There would no information anywhere about me on the planet. Besides, even if I had to run, I could take a new name. Names can be shed as easily as coats. Plenty of pictures of my former foster parents and an extra closet makes it look like I live there with adults. Instead of alone. Not alone, with Slash.

My flashback ends, leaving me realizing I'm at my stop. It's near my school, close enough that I can walk. I don't mind. At least it's not running for my life. I go inside the high school. I'm new there. Everyone always picks on the new kid. I'm used to the drill and just keep my head down. Mostly. Sure, I back-talked a couple of teachers. Maybe I punched that football kid straight in the nose when he tried to get close to me. Perhaps a few teeth fell out and there was blood all over the place. All I know is that I'm in the office trying to explain why my parents aren't home to answer the phone. Eventually the principal gave up and just gave me a couple of detentions. I can handle that. I still think it's unfair that I can punished for protecting myself from an overzealous guy. _It rolls like that in school. All we have to do is keep it down. _Slash can barely stifle her snickers. _Like if you could do any better. You would probably rip his guts out. _I shoot back before cutting off the conservation. This is sooo boring. With my limited experience, I can't see how detentions would make me repent of my wrong-doing. Maybe I'll find out later. I glance up at the clock. Only an hour to go...

Later...

There was no point to that, I think, making my way home. _There's no point to anything in school. Why are we going again? _Slash again. _Because I want to take a break from you chasing down and fighting people. _A short laugh. _You call this a break? _Well, Slash did have a point about that. Still better than running around trying to survive, however. I get to the apartment and flop down on the bed to take a nap. Who cares if I have homework? That's not as important as sleep any way. Surely the teachers will see that. After all, they're human beings too, right?

Next Day...

I was wrong. Teachers are not human. At least, ones with the virtue of mercy. I fume silently as my English teacher assigns me another hour of wasting my life. _F__ive this first week total, right L? _My answer is short and to the point. _Shut up Slash. _I'll do better. If I don't, I won't blend in. Not blending in is bad in a place where living on your own could get you killed. And I don't want die. Not now. Not ever. The day continues on at a pace slower than a snail. Every class I get in trouble. Lunch is consumed by a detention, as well as after school. But this time, instead of doing nothing, I finish up my work. Out of teacher's eye, of course. They somehow believe people will actually learn more if they're forced to do nothing the entire time. I know that's wrong and I've only been in one so far. Please let them be become smarter in the next few weeks!

* * *

Weeks have passed. Surprisingly, nothing has happened to drive me away from the area. After the first week, I got my act together and now am praised as a good student. Slash, of course, sneers. _Perfect. Too good for me now apparently. Thanks for the vote you made in my favor. _School is fine, but is too easy. Science, especially biology, is a breeze. Well, I am a living science experiment. English is hard, history hardest. Who cares about the past if no one's gonna learn from it any way? Ironically, the event that directed my life towards a course leading to ultimate change wouldn't happen in either one of those classes. Instead it would happen in my favorite: Science.

Today is a simple lab. Dissecting a frog is no biggie to someone who's been dragged around in the mind of a psycho. A psycho killer that enjoys murdering people slowly. I know why she does it, Slash, why she kills. But it doesn't mean I have to like it. That's my thoughts during my mindless cutting of the corpse into pieces. Poor frog.

A loud alarm goes off. I look up just in time to hear the announcement. "All classrooms, Level 3 Lock-down now." Level 3? Already time to lock doors and pretend that nobody was here? No way that should happen this soon. Everyone starts talking. It takes a while for everything to get put away. Once that's complete, we all hide in the corner. I don't really think that's gonna save us if a murderer is on the loose but I don't say anything. Whatever floats their boat, I guess. The other kids are busy pushing and shoving, the poor teacher trying to get them to calm down. Well, the guys are. Most girls are on their phones texting each other. Me? I decide to move a little bit closer to the door. In the chaos of clean-up, no one noticed it was still open a crack. Except for me.

Slash knows what I'm doing right away. It's impossible to hide what you're doing to someone living in your own brain, I found out a long time ago. Even when you're going to the bathroom. So to all ya out there, don't try it in the future. _You're going to kill both of us. _She stated flatly. _No I'm not! I'm just..um..looking. _The little comment sets her off. _Why do I have to be stuck with one of the stupidest people in any world?! We should find a better hiding place, not here. Don't get us killed. Blah, blah..._I zone out the rest of her rage at me. You get used to it. I don't care what she says. She's my younger sister and who listens to their younger sister? I move closer to the door, close enough to peek out. Everything out there looks normal...so what's going on outside is the question here. Or so I think. Slash catches something. _Get back! Now L! _I don't listen, already turning it into background static. I regret that later. Now the teacher finally notices me by the door. He shouts, "Get back!" then covers his mouth when he realizes what a mistake he's made. However, I think little of it at the time. "Fine. I'm com-"

Before I can even feel the hand around my ankle, I am hoisted into the air. "Let me go!" I twist and turn in an attempt to get away. Whoever it is must have snuck up on me when I was turned towards the teacher. But what could move so fast in so short of time? Almost shivering, I push that thought away.

"Now, what have I caught here?" The raspy voice freezes me solid. Slowly I turn my head to look behind me, a hard feat when you're hanging upside down. It is a large scarlet figure with unusual white patches where his eyes should be and sharp teeth now bared at me in a not-so-friendly way. Still in shock, I don't recognize the person until Slash whispers his name. _Carnage._


	2. A Game of Run and Hide

Warning: There may be character OCCness! Please tell if I do any of it. If you then tell me what to do to fix it, I will be very happy! R&R

* * *

To be able to survive in such an accident prone city, you have to know something about the guys you might run into. Namely, the so-called 'super-villains' running around. A lot of them are just old men using high-tech for their own ends. One or two are men who just are misunderstood and want revenge. No biggie. Few actually have some resemblance of natural power themselves. What they were didn't matter. All would happily kill you.

There were so many out there that I'd heard about that only a few stuck out to me. The Rhino, Green Goblin...Carnage. He was one that had scared me the most when I reading a news article about him. He had killed hundreds of people they knew of and thousands more had been thought to be his victims. The guy used to be a Cletus Kasady before reappearing as a monster. The serial killer being in my school is not a good sign. Especially for his soon-to-be murder victim, yours truly.

* * *

Wriggling to get free won't work. I already tried that. I reluctantly turn to Slash. _Little help here. _The answer isn't positive. _We're both going to die because of your stupidness. _Great. Now I need something useful. _Need help here now or we are both dying for sure._ Carnage, being the rude killer he is, cut in our mind-to-mind conversation to start threatening us. Or rather, me.

"I'm on a schedule of murder and chaos right now. I can't afford to miss it, so I'm gonna give you the choice of how you're gonna die." He drops me on the ground after the short speech, stunning me. Stars dance before my eyes. When I recover, the chance to escape is gone. The red symbiote had merely dropped me to get a better grip on me, right side up. All the better to talk to without passing out. (I could still do that out of fear, but since that would mean letting Slash out to play, I try to avoid that.) He holds me by my shirt collar, sadistic eyes/patches/whatever boring into me. I close my eyes to avoid the glare so I can actually talk to my 'sister'. _Slash? _Her evil grin projects in my mind when she speaks back to me, leaving me sure that whatever she's come up with won't be good. For me or anyone else. Including Carnage. _You could always let me out. It has been forever since I've had the chance to fight. Or do anything, for that matter._ I physically shiver at the thought of Slash and Carnage having a fight in the middle of New York. Their combined efforts could probably destroy Lady Liberty. Not to mention, I don't really want to reveal to everyone here at school that I have a monster living inside of me.

"What will it be? Skinning or gutting?" Carnage again. He pulls his other arm in my limited view, transforming it into a blade. Smiling at the fear in my eyes, he runs the blade down the side of my body. _If you're going to be selfish and rather die than let me have a last day alive in our body, then I guess I'll do something else to help us. _Slash's barely disguised hatred would normally have no effect on me, but I care now that I'm about to be torn apart by a super-villain. This is not good if the only thing saving me right now is someone who hates my guts at the moment, and won't hesitate to kill me if it wouldn't kill her too.

"Give me your answer now, before I just kill you to be done with it." The entire conservation between me and Slash only took a few seconds at most, but Carnage is inpatient jerk. I slowly open my eyes a crack before swiftly shutting them again. The symbiote laughs at my fear, a twisted sound. His open mouth releases a dozen scents that should never see the light of day. My eyes squint and I grimace. "Do you ever brush your teeth? They smell like you drink from the school toilets." The remark flies out, unable to be stopped by any human means.

The sick laughter stops almost imminently as his jaw hangs in shock. He closes it, his stare now more intense than ever. _Did you really just say that?_ I think. That face dares me to confirm it and talk some more. And I oblige him. "What, you don't brush your teeth? Of course you don't, you're too busy being a coward and beating up innocent girls. Betcha you can't face a real hero, like Spiderman." Not that I really care much for Spiderman, but I figure that Carnage, being a pretty big villain, has probably had a run in with him once or twice. Enough times to sting.

* * *

He blows up. One minute I'm just hanging there, waiting to either be skinned or gutted. My choice of death of those two is waiting to be fulfilled. The next minute, he shakes me so hard my brains feel like they're going to fall out. I get whacked against the walls a few times, hard enough for me to bleed. "Shut up, you *^$&!" is screamed in my face, exposing me even more to the smell of rotting meat within. What happens next is not entirely my fault. I had just eaten lunch ten minutes before science. I had just been shaken around like a bobblehead. Now I have one of the most disgusting smells known to mankind in my face. You can do the math.

I heave. I groan. I erupt forth my lunch onto part of his arm and the floor. His eyes narrow. Uh-oh. I made Carnage, one of the craziest people around, angry. I'm doomed. "You are gonna pay big, little girl." The villain says. He smiles, causing goosebumps run up my arms. Whatever his plan is, it ain't good for me or Slash. "I gave you the choice of skinning or gutting, right? How bout both at the same time?!" Is it just me or the blade where his other arm should be is sharper? By now, the scratches on my head have healed. I can only hope he doesn't notice that, because it would open a whole new world of torture. _Slash? Right now, or we're going to die. _Still I persist. _If you figure out a way for me to live without directly involving you, I'll let you play for two months._ That catches her attention. _You have'ta keep that deal for me to tell you. _She taunts. _Fine! I swear by our mind bond and shared experiences that I will keep that deal with you, if only you save my butt right now!_ I can almost see her claws rubbing together in glee...

* * *

_That is stupidest plan I've ever heard. _I say after Slash tells me what I need to do. _It won't be if it'll save your life. _To that, I can concede.

To his credit, Carnage is a good guy with putting fear, no, _panic_, in you, but on smartness level of 10 being best? He's 3.2 at the most. Seriously. Any smarter guy would have just pinned me to something when he starts cutting. Carnage instead elects to hold me the way he's been holding me the whole time against the wall. Apparently he wants to feel me squirm and scream under the blade. Not this time bub.

The villain is so busy having fun scratching my collarbone with his claws of the hand gripping me that he doesn't notice the way my mouth slightly changes. Almost as if it is restructuring itself to hold a jaw of razor-sharp Slash fangs. But that would be silly. Ah, what the heck, that was exactly what it was doing. "Ready or not, here I come!" the insane symbiote grins, raising his sword/arm. It is barely starting to cut my left arm when I let loose on him. More specially, I bite him. Hard.

The effect is immediate; Carnage, the slaughter of so many, screeches in pain. Plus several more side benefits, of which one matters to me now. I am dropped onto the ground. Not the toss designed to stun your target that was used before on me, the honest straight drop down. The floor seems unnaturally slick as I clamber to my feet. My hands sweat a lot. I use the small opportunity given to tear down the hallway, the opposite direction of my classroom.

You may be wondering why a mouthful of human molars would have such a result on a tough, battle-hardened symbiote. The solution is simple: those _weren't _my teeth. I borrowed Slash's fangs to pull down much more than I could have with mine. It didn't hurt that I took him by surprise. Who expects their prisoner, just about broken, ready to die, to suddenly attack you? Only a really paranoid guy would think like that. Carnage is not on that list.

* * *

So it is of shock as much as pain making him squall now. I am far down the hall, far from the classrooms and Carnage. The screaming stops soon after I run. Great. Now I have an alien monster on my tail. One that can run much faster, is so much stronger, and isn't afraid to kill anyone in his way. Or not in his way.

A few things are in my advantage here, however. Number one: I know the building. Not that this matters a lot, seeing how a big guy like him can probably smash through the walls. Number two: I am slightly more faster and stronger than most humans. That was something I believe I got from Slash and our bonded bodies/minds. Nothing like a real powered mutant with one power or the other. (And no, I do not consider myself a mutant. The only thing makes me special or different is the family relationship with Slash.) Still could give a edge, by taking him by surprise. Number three: Carnage is angry. Very angry. You may think that's not a good thing, but for me, it is. The angrier your enemy is, the less likely they are to plan ahead. I learned that lesson with Slash and her ways. And I need every advantage I can get.

Five minutes later...

I run. Again. This is the third time he's nearly caught me. The first was by the drinking fountain. Second was when I stopped for a minute to catch my breath. Both times Carnage, climbing along the walls, almost takes me at my weakest. Both times chance saves me. I can now feel some sympathy for the poor deer being chased down by a tiger that I once saw on a nature show. It must have felt like I do now. Lungs burning. Tired. Weak. Doomed.

_Don't give up. We're not dead yet. _Slash urges me. Some of her concern is centered around her sister's well-being; the rest is the worrying fact that if we die, she doesn't get to collect her bet with me. Doesn't get to taste the air on her own one last time. Doesn't get to roam, run free. For a second, I feel a sense of sadness for her. I quickly quash it. Can't feel like that when running for your life! Emotions, feelings would only get in the way. At the moment. Running is all that matters right. I can do it, thanks to the little bit of Slash's endurance that she shares with me. Keep on running. "I'm coming to find you!" A demented voice screams out. "And you're gonna pay for what you did!"

Six minutes later...

I am so dead. Why? To make it simple, I am caught. By the not-so-friendly Carnage. What got me caught wasn't anything heroic like sacrificing myself to save another student's life or something like that. In fact, I don't think Carnage even realized there were other guys in the school at the time, he was so angry at me then. No, it was something incredibly stupid: I had to go to the bathroom. (Yeah, I can hear you laughing. Stop it.) Nature called and instead of holding it like Slash suggested, I decided to find myself a toilet. Bad idea. Though I didn't think about it at the time, toilets make noise when they flush. A lot of noise. Noise that can easily be tracked throughout the building.

To make a long story short, Carnage was waiting for me on the ceiling when I ran out. Total time pass: thirty seconds in bathroom. Now? I am dangling from his claws. He's torn into me a couple times. Torn like scratching my arms or face or something. To his apparent delight, I have a pretty darn good healing factor. "There's a lot fun outta you, girlie." He snarls in my ear. "Now I can tear you apart over and over again. And once I'm done with you, I can kill every else in this freaking school." Judging by the horrible teeth he's showing in my face, this is the equivalent of a Christmas present to him. Something to the effect of getting a puppy you rip apart over and over. Yippie for me.

Right at that moment, glass windows nearby crunch. Carnage doesn't even move to avoid the flying glass. To that effect, I get hit too and it _hurts. _Bad. I know it's gonna heal, but I rather just avoid the pain in the first place. I crane my neck to see who crashed through the window. And when I see who it is, I groan. "Why couldn't you have gotten here sooner?"


	3. Carnage vs Spiderman Madness!

A few minutes earlier...

Spiderman swung through the glass window. Carnage was waiting for him just on the other side. "So Spiderman," He begun. "Nice to meetcha here. I was having a little fun with this girl here. Not that she appreciates that." That was when Peter Parker, aka Spiderman, noticed a limp teenage girl dangling from Carnage's grasp. As he watched, she lifted her head up weakly and surprisingly, groaned at the sight of him. "Why couldn't you have gotten here sooner?" She was covered in blood.

Spiderman's eyes widened behind his mask. So that was the only reason the school was still standing. Carnage had been having _fun_ with tearing a girl apart. Otherwise, all he would have found here would be bloody corpses and ashes of the building. As well as no Carnage. "Put her down now." He couldn't joke at the moment, not when a girl was bleeding all over the place in Carnage's grip. "Sure. Why not?" Carnage grinned. "I need to punish her first before I do that, however. She is a little $^%# after all." Right there, before Spiderman's eyes, he pretty much ripped the girl in half. She screamed in pain until she passed out. Carnage then dropped her on the floor to bleed out her last few free remaining minutes of life.

The sick monster stepped on her on the floor. When Carnage turned around, he found himself knocked backwards by Spiderman swinging into him. The force catapulted him hard enough into the wall to leave a hole in it. He got up, laughing at the superhero. "That all you got?"

* * *

Pain. That is all I feel now. Blood is leaking out of me. What happened? _Carnage nearly tore us in two, that's what. _Slash seems to be trying to keep me awake. That's silly, why should I be afraid to sleep? I'm sure it's fine that I feel really tired right now. I shake my head, dozy from blood loss. That's when I look down at myself. I scream.

Luckily the sound I make is drowned out by a series of crashing and banging noises at that moment. What is going here? Last thing I remember is seeing something red and blue before so much pain. Spiderman! That's what those colors were, I recall. I had even responded to his appearance a few seconds before the terrible pain begun. And if Spiderman is here with Carnage... I swallow, my throat dry. The two must be having a big fight. Really big one. A destroying everything around them one.

* * *

Meanwhile in another part of the building..

_Man, did Carnage have his Wheaties this morning or something?_ Spiderman thinks, dodging another student desk thrown at him. _Because he seems pumped. _"Stay still so I can give you a present." Carnage tosses the teacher's desk at Spiderman, hitting him. "Here you go!" Spidey pushes the desk off, but the attack has already taken its toll. _Oooh...he might have cracked a few of my ribs. I need to find a way to stop Carnage before he kills everyone._

Looking around frantically, he spots a fire alarm on the wall. _Oh yeah! I only need to get to the fire alarms. The sound may not have not as big as effect as fire on him but it could take him out. _Using his web shooters, the hero makes a line and swings out of the classroom into the hallway. The incensed Carnage dives at him, only to be hit in the face with desk he had whacked Spidey with a few minutes earlier. "Hey Carnage! Is it just me or did you get a present too? Happy Birthday!" The superhero had thoughtfully made a web line dragging the desk after him, knowing that Carnage would be following close behind. "Come here Parker! I'm sorta hungry and you owe me a Happy Meal since you stole the girl I was gonna eat!"

"Go on a diet." Spiderman retorts. "You know, Carnage, there's a really good one you can go on. However, it involves not eating people, so I kinda doubt you'll-" He dodges a part of the drinking fountain aimed for his face before finishing with, "-be able to keep to it."

"There's nothing you can do to stop me, Spiderman. I am going to tear everything, and soon everyone, here apart!" Carnage boasts. The two powered people, one villain, one hero face off in the middle of the hallway, unrealized to both that this where the battle first begun. A girl, still heavily bleeding, remains in the corner where she was left to die...

* * *

Oh no. They're here. Both of them. I hear them, see them...and smell them? I risk another sniff. Nope, that's just Carnage, still smelling like the sewers. I wonder if that's where he lives? _Don't think about that, L. Just be quiet so you can heal in peace without Carnage coming over to finish you off._ Slash, being as helpful as always. She's right this time, though. If I scream in pain because I attempted to move, the fighters will hear me. And one will come over to kill me.

Even with my guts almost spilled all over the place, I can still heal...but not fast enough to save me from bleeding to death. Already I'm feeling woozy...I shake my head violently. Can't sleep now! What I need, as much as I hate to say this, is Slash to take over. Her healing is much faster than mine. She's been almost decapitated before and recovered to full health. My healing doesn't go that far. The problem is that if she takes over, the change will be noticed and while Slash still recovers, Carnage will chop her head off. Not to mention, that if by some miracle we are saved from that, there will be too many awkward questions to answer. The government here would definitely take advantage of our 'differences' for their own purposes. Slash and I do not really want to fight for the government. Ever.

I grunt under my breath and try to turn over. But that makes me emit a gasp of pain to even to move my arm. I worry about it until Slash says, _Those guys are far too busy fighting to even realize where they are. I don't think they're gonna notice that gasp._

* * *

The hallway was seriously getting all messy. It would take over a $1500 of donations for the school to return it to its former state. Right now? It was a battleground of chaos and various trashed objects. One of which was a weapon for a messed-up serial killer to try to hit a Spider with. A lunch table that had somehow found its way to this hall, to be exact.

"Why_-/__swing/_-won't_-/swing/-_you-/_swing/_-stop moving for a couple seconds?" Give you three guesses who speaking at the moment and the first two don't count. "No can do, Carnage." Spiderman says as he avoids every hit. "I have go to work after this and I think my boss won't like it if I showed up as flat as a pancake." Carnage drops the table. "You know what? I'm tired of playing Whack-a-Spider. Let's play," The symboite's long tongue licks over his toothy grin. "Dodgeball."

Spiderman couldn't even stop to catch his breath, the projectiles flew so fast at him. Avoiding one, he almost did a flip into another. _I need to get over to the fire alarm. But how?_ Glancing back at Carnage, Spidey saw the truth; unless he got to the alarm soon, he, along with everyone else, would be dead. Taking in everything around him, something made Peter's face light up under the mask. _I have an idea!_

Carnage is having some of the most fun he has had in ages. What would make it better would be having a few innocent bystanders to slaughter. It is so fun to hear them scream. Even more enjoyable, is when they try to bargain for their lives. Especially when they all die in the end. He smiles fondly (well, as fondly as you can when you're a monster hungering for killing) at the memories before baring his fangs in a feral grin. "You look tired, Spider. I can give you a nice nap if you want. Like this!" The villain tosses a slab of the wall he tore down and tosses it at the superhero. And for once, it hits right on target.

* * *

I can't believe what just happened right before my eyes. Spiderman is down. I thought that he would live at the very least. Slash is always cynical, so this doesn't surprise her at all. _The only people we can depend on is ourselves, L, I've told you that over and over. How -and why- did you get attached to a guy you never even talked to?_

I snap. The stress, the pain finally gets to me and I say everything I've stewed about for months. _You don't understand Slash! You don't know how humans feel hope, since you aren't one. We feel it in others, not ourselves. That's what makes you so different. You don't care about anyone, don't trust anyone...your 'way of hope' is what got us kicked out by my friends. You changed everything! I HATE YOU! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND. OR FIT_ _IN!_

I end my tirade, panting slightly. Slash's response is cold and brief. _Fine. I'll leave you alone._ When she blocks me, blocks everything but her endurance and acceptance for pain, which is still pouring into me, I feel empty. Emptier than I've ever felt before. But I was right, wasn't I? Wasn't I?

* * *

Carnage laughs. The mighty Spiderman, fallen at last. His usual demented grin shows on his face, leading to what his thoughts may be of. Killing, chaos, random destruction, your regular Carnage package all in one! Might as well start it here. He could just smell the delectable fear of the little piglets in the classes nearby...

One minute the symboite is standing in triumph, the next he's writhing on the floor. The fire alarms are blaring their very loudest. "Aargh!" In pain, Carnage's eyes accidentally fly to the fire alarm handle, the cause of all his pain. There is a line of web pulling it down. At the end of the line, the Amazing Spiderman stands, web-shooter still attached to the webbing. "Next time, make sure to destroy a weapon after you use it, Carnage." He walks from behind the table that earlier had been used as a hammer in an attempt to smash him. The villain, in horrible pain, didn't answer.

Spiderman sighs. Now he has to clean up. Get all the kids out, make sure the police are here...get the girl Carnage tore apart a decent funeral. He rubs the back of his neck. Sometimes he hates this job.

He goes to the corner where the body is. She looks cute, even with the huge gash from her right shoulder to left hip. Something's different about her than the other corpses he's seen. Being a superhero, Spiderman has seen many. All which he never wished to witness. Something moves. Spidey takes a nervous step back. "So is it Night of the Living Dead now?"

"Help me..." The girl raises her arm. Her eyes plead for relief from the incredible pain she's been in. Amazingly, she is still alive. Spidey still takes her pulse just in case. At a safe distance, of course. Raising his head, he hears the sirens. The police and ambulances have finally gotten here.

* * *

The pain finally stops. At first I don't understand why. Am I dying? I open my eyes a little bit. There is a figure standing over me. "Did Carnage kill me?" I ask, sure I am talking to an angel or something else similar. The person stumbles back in shock. Looking around frantically, it calls out, "Sir, the patient is awake!" This figure is male. I can tell by the pitch. A young guy. Probably a rookie.

The answer comes back swiftly. "What?! Did you get her on medication?" "Yes, but she's asking me if Carnage killed her!" "If Carnage...Hennings, tell her she is still alive and kicking." The young man turns to me. "He said-" I interrupt him. "Yes, I know I'm alive. Supposedly. But how do I know that for sure?" The question seems to perplex him. He scratches his head, thinking about what to say next.

Then the rookie is off to the side when another figure appears in front of me. One in familiar red and blue. "Spiderman? I thought you were dead." I mutter, confused for real. "Well, I'm not, but thanks for worrying about me." He says. Or tries to say. I steamroll right over him. "She thought you were dead too. My sister. She said I couldn't trust you...only her and myself. Now she wants to kill him. Carnage, I mean, not you." I ramble on. It is only after I say it all that I realize they have no idea who I am talking about. Spiderman is talking with someone I can't quite see. I know I should be worried, but I'm not. Instead I'm so sleepy. Calm darkness seeps over me.

* * *

"Know who's she talking about, doc?" Spiderman asks the lead doctor. The doctor shakes his head, clearly worried. "No. Whoever this 'sister' of hers is, it is clear that she may be a little-" He mouths the word 'crazy.' "Especially with this encounter."

"Carnage." Spiderman realizes. "Yes." "Carnage! Oh man, I have to make sure the cops got him!" With that, the hero runs off, leaving a very confused doctor behind. He shrugs and returns to loading the patient.

Spiderman runs to one of the cops. "Did you get Carnage?" The guy frowns. "Carnage was here?" Spidey groans. The crazed villain has gotten away again! Well, he knows how he's spending his weekend now.

* * *

**L may hate me now, I may hate her, but I will still protect her. I swear it. This 'Carnage' could prove a threat to me as well. In my time given, I'll hunt him down like the animal he is. No one hurts her without my permission. She'll see. They'll all see. I'll see him dead at my feet! First blood will be mine. Still hungry...**


	4. Connections

This will be a shorter chapter then the others, just to warn you readers. All the pieces are coming together...R&R

* * *

Ouch. That is the only word that can even mildly describe the pain I've been in. And that doesn't even cover one percent of it. Thanks to the hospital workers here, I am surviving -and thriving- here. The wound I got from Carnage is healing faster than anyone thought.

That factor, and the fact I survived an attack by Carnage himself, saved by Spiderman, has made me briefly famous. At least I hope briefly. Still, I like getting flowers every day or notes saying 'I hope you get better' even when it's from people I don't know.

I need to blend in, not stand out in the spotlight. It's nice to be in a spotlight, after all this time alone with just Slash to talk to in my head. (Great! Now I sound nuts!) But too much fame could make me dead meat or at least experimental meat...

* * *

A dark, forgotten alley in Matthatten...

Carnage licks the blood off his claws. Another prefect kill. A disemboweled body lay on the ground before him. The fun part had been when the man started begging for his life, even with the knowledge that nothing could save him. Humans are so funny, especially when they're dying. He smiles, blood on his teeth. They taste best with fear boiling through their veins.

He tosses the now-empty skull towards the street. It rolls only a few feet before getting crushed under a car driving by. The driver of the car hears a strange giggling noise. Looking around anxiously, he drives away, knowing whatever is laughing is probably a bad thing to run into.

There is only one thing ruining his mood: one of his victims had escaped him. The girl, the one he thought he had killed at the high school, before his most recent run-in with Spiderman. Apparently she was strong enough to survive being ripped in two. The worse part was that the girl would heal perfectly, with nothing but a dark scar to remind her. Not even crippled.

The symboite growls under his breath. To keep his prefect kill record, the girl would have to die. He bet her meat would taste good with the luck she had. _Look out, your days are numbered, red-head. _The irony of how much similar this is to his father's desire for revenge on the Spider is lost on him.

* * *

A helicarrier, flying miles high above the city...

A dark figure sits in his chair, staring at the horizon in the series of glass windows behind him. "Sir, I got the files you asked for." A woman bursts in, almost speed-walking in her hurry to get to the desk. She slows down when she notices the person at the desk hasn't turned around yet. "Sir?"

"Yes. Just put them on the desk." The woman sighs, relieved, under her breath. Now she can get back to work and not have to deal with the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. At least for today.

As soon as she leaves the room, the man turns his chair around, examining the files. His one eye studies a small file he holds. This is Nick Fury, current head of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Interesting." He puts down the folder. It falls open, revealing the picture of a certain red-headed girl.

* * *

A tall skyscraper, towering over New York...

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman is taking a lunch break. Literally. Munching on a sandwich, the hero looks over the city, glad to at last have a break. No super-villians on the loose, no bank robberys, no kidnappings...no, everything is perfectly calm for once. Well, as calm as it can get in the Big Apple.

Spiderman thinks about his latest encounter with Carnage. Now he has to hunt that guy down before he hurts anyone. And this girl...Something weird was going on with that girl from the school. How come she was alive? Heck, the wounds she had would kill even him. Yet she would live with just a scar. Not mention, this mysterious 'sister' she was talking about. Peter Parker shivers, even when it is burning hot outside.

A scream sounds below. Looking down, there's a pair of thugs threatening a woman with a gun. "No rest for the weary, I guess." The super-powered teen grumbles, webbing his way down.

* * *

**Recovery is everything right now. Everything that matters at the moment. I can feel the pain, even inside L's head. If only she wasn't here at the hospital, if only Spiderman had left...if only. I could have taken care of everything, could have come out and healed us both in the process. But L was too weak, and if I had, she could have died, killing me as well. I just needed a little time to give the strength she needed to survive the transformation. **

**But there was no time. Now all I have is time. Now all I have to do is wait. I know L won't hold to her deal unless we're in danger. And I have the feeling we'll both be in danger very soon...**


	5. Failure is always an option

A few new OCs... I bet you can guess who they are. The S.H.I.E.L.D agents, of course. Slash makes her first true appearance here too. Enjoy! And Merry Christmas to you all! And a Happy New Year! R&R

* * *

It took a while but eventually I got out of the hospital. All that was required of me was do a couple physical tests. Such as walking down the hallway and back without falling over, catching a ball without dropping it, and so on. I passed every test, but the time it took to do all of them was so long that now it's lunchtime. Time to eat and no way I'm eating anymore hospital food. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but I just wanna be outta here. They offer to call my foster parents for a ride, but I decline. They're not here right now. Besides, I can take care of myself.

I spot a popular place to get food that everyone knows only a few blocks away from the hospital. (The hospital wanted to call my parents when I first got in, but I convinced them that they were out of the country at the moment. Whew!) _No coffee please. Last time you had it, you got sick. And I don't want to go through that again. _Slash commenting yet again. Even since our blow-up, she's been talking still, but her chatter is more...reserved than before. I hope she gets over it soon. _Nah, it'll be fine. Besides, I'm not getting coffee this time. _I jog over to the world's greatest coffee shop: Starbucks.

* * *

Good stuff, that food is. After eating my fill, I take off walking around the block. _Let me see some newspapers, L. _Not now, please not now. _But you can't go out in public. Everyone will want to kill you. _I nervously answer. _I have an idea of how we could do it a different way. _

After admiring yet another newspaper, I shake my head out of frustration. _What are you looking for, Slash? There's nothing here but junk._ For the last few hours, my time has been spent looking at newspapers while Slash borrows my eyes to look at them. _None of your business. _is her curt reply as she scans the page. _What's your problem? You've been acting horrible ever since- _I check my watch.

Uh-oh. I have to start making my way home. The sun is still above the horizon but wouldn't want to advertise 'Hey! Little girl who doesn't have curfew! Come mug her!' since it's almost nine. Family time for normal people. But then, I'm not normal. And never have been.

* * *

_Come on, just a few more! _Slash protests as I start making my way back to the apartment. _No way, we have to head back. It would look weird if I was found wandering around after being released from the hospital. _She pouts. _Fine__. But I was almost done. _

Talking to my not-at-all human sister can be pretty confusing. I give a huff before saying, _Done with what? I need to know what you're doing. And I still think it's unfair that you can block me out when I can't do the same to you._ All I get is a smirk. Slash doesn't want to talk right now, it seems. Oh, two can play at that game! Well, not really. She can read me like a book and I'm always left on page one even when she talks to me. Which she doesn't, incidentally. Aargh! I hate my life sometimes.

* * *

_If only it wouldn't get more complicated than it is already. I already have to handle Slash in my head. Then a red sludge monster shows up. What's next? Killer robots?  
_I think as I unlock my apartment door and walk inside. Strangely enough, I face two people already inside. _You just jinxed us with what you were thinking, L. _Slash remarks, after we take in the black suited figures sitting at the coffee table. _Shut up Slash. _I say, since I can't come up with a snappy reply.

"Hello Llewellyn." The dark-haired man of the duo stands up, holding out his hand. The other visitor is a blonde woman, who coolly stares back at me as I look at her. "How do you know my name? And why the heck are you in my home?"

"Your home?" He raises an eyebrow. I silently curse myself. _Stupid. You live with your foster parents the Sharpes, remember? _"I just call it that since my foster parents aren't here a lot. I'm mostly on my own." On a flash of inspiration, I add. "They're out of the country right now. You still haven't answered my two questions and I've answered yours." The man smiles. Now why is that creepy all of a sudden? "Correct. I am Agent Pole and this is Agent Kelmer." The woman nods to me from her seat, her face as expressionless as ever. "Now to answer your question. You know your name is very well-known at the moment. Why are you surprised to hear us call you by name?"

I scratch my head. _Be careful L. These guys are turning all of your questions upside down. I have a bad feeling about this._ I don't answer. I'm too busy planning out what I'm going to say next. Obviously the name thing isn't gonna work, but the why? Just maybe it'll get a real answer. I go for it.

"Ok then. But why are you here?" The reply takes me by surprise. "We are here on the behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D to question you." _No, no, no! _Slash seems to be panicking. _What's wrong, Slash?_ Yep, she's worried. _I've heard about these people when you were out of it. I was having some fun when a bunch of robots ordered me to stop in the name of S.H.I.E.L.D. I got away but they must be a huge police organization or something. _All bad in itself, but what really worries me is the fact that Slash has been having 'fun' without me knowing it. _What sort of fun? _Slash's answer is hesitant like she's worried about me being mad at her. Which I am, absolutely. _When you were asleep, I took over. Ran around for a little bit until some people started screaming. Next thing I know, a bunch of robots try to kill me. S.H.I.E.L.D. robots. So after they lost my trail, I went back home._ _Jumped into bed and you were none the wiser. _I am so angry at her! And more than scared. If Slash can go around unchecked...people can die.

My thoughts are interrupted by some certain S.H.I.E.L.D agents. The woman for the first time stands up and walks over next to Pole. "There are some answers that only you can give, Llewellyn Sharpe. Or rather, Llewellyn." Kelmer says. Uh-oh. "My foster parents don't matter any more?"

"On the contrary. A search was made for your 'parents' files. Nothing turned up. Mr and Mrs Sharpe do not exist. The game is up." Pole answers, his face stern. "Now tell us...who is this 'sister' you're staying with? Don't lie and say you don't have any sister; it was recorded that after the most recent Carnage attack you mentioned a sister while under pain killers." Man, these people really do their homework. Too deep for my tastes, though. Sooner or later, I have to make a run for it.

* * *

Coming to this conclusion appeases Slash. _My turn soon..._ I don't bother to correct her. The agents are still waiting for my answer. I give it to them. All of it.

"My sis ain't home to talk to you right now. Just leave her alone. She hasn't done anything to you." Pole takes it in, but Kelmer's eyes narrow as she notices me edging towards the window. She must be the veteran. Subtle won't work. Time for action!

Out of nowhere, I lunge for the window. I almost make it too. But Pole takes out a gun, pointing it at me, after Kelmer knocks me away from the opening and escape route to freedom. How heck did she move so fast? Training? Or a mutant?

Training, I decide, once she pins me to the ground in a martial arts move I've only seen a few times. Good. That means I have an advantage. Possessing a speed and strength few non super-humans can match, thanks to Slash, I could get out of her grip before she realizes it. But I force myself to wait. Can't do it right away, when the agent is excepting her prisoner to try and make a break for it. Probably has a few moves to take down a fleeing person too, when I think about it. "Don't bother running. It's very easy to see that whatever your sister is doing, it is illegal and you don't want to talk about it." Her words hiss in my ear. I nod, acting all scared. "S.H.I.E.L.D can protect you if you cooperate." Pole says, noting my 'terrified' response. Yeah, right. More like kill me if sis gets too out of hand. So...they were afraid of my sister figure. I must have sounded pretty bad for them to take that seriously. Or was it something else?

_We really don't need to know that piece of information at the moment, L. Run for it. Now. _Slash is right. The time to run is here. Kelmer is starting to loosen her grip and Pole is coming over. Now! I take to my feet and am out the window. This time, before anyone reacts. Or can react. I am out!

Right on top of a robot that grabs me. How did this happen? _S.H.I.E.L.D robot. It was waiting for you outside. I tried to warn you but you wouldn't listen. _Slash complaining again about this is my fault that we're in this mess. K, I got it. They know about my speed...how? Doesn't matter too much. I still hope they don't know about the other trick up my sleeve. If they do, well, I'm screwed. Then Slash gets to come out, ruining the secret. And possibly a few people's lives as well. _Focus. Use your strength. Unless you want your 'sis' to take care of it. _Slash's scolding voice brings me back to reality, in a robot's fist. She ironically is the calming influence in my life. My crazy, random life.

* * *

I take a grip on the side of its apparent hand. Its reaction timing is slow, I note. Too slow. In a second, I rip the mechanical arm off and begin falling to the ground. Anywhere is better than here is my advice on such a situation.

Landing in a small tree in front of the building saves my butt. From smushing into pancakes when I hit the ground, I mean. Not from the robots and police/spies/whatever S.H.I.E.L.D is. While the group is still struggling to respond, I get outta of there. I note it's late, maybe ten pm now. Makes sense. If this group is almost secret, then doing whatever they were trying to do that involved robotic back-up during the night, out of the public's spying eyes, would be part of their memo.

That doesn't matter right now. All that matters is survival. Which is a skill I am personally horrible at. Well, not horrible, just not a master at it like Slash. She is willing to do anything to survive. Even kill. My turn is over, now that life is at risk to those S.H.I.E.L.D. jerks. I hesitate, but only for a second. I reluctantly say to Slash. _You can go now._

* * *

Hunger. The first feeling I feel outside in my own body. It took time for my scales to overtake L's weak human flesh, my yellow eyes to come to peak, fingers turned to claws. My claws. My tail. My wings. It has been a while. Even with the little breather I took while L was sleeping, I had been starting to feel trapped. Again. Now freedom is mine.

Hungry...blood. I want meat. Flesh to rip and tear. Unfortunately, there are no deer in New York. As I am aware of. There might be or might not be, out of my awareness. I slink away in the alley on all fours, sniffing for food. S.H.I.E.L.D can wait their turn. Right now I need food and freedom. My playtime. My time to hunt.

* * *

"Report." A cold voice comes out of the communicator on Agent Pole's wrist. "Do you have the girl?" Pole gulps. This was the moment he had been dreading. "No sir."  
The voice reacts instantly. "How did she get away?" "Well, sir, we missed one factor: she also has strength beyond average, just like her speed." "Very well. You and Agent Kelmer are still on the case. Find her soon. Before this 'sister' of hers knows what's going on." The link is closed. Pole turns to Kelmer. "We still have time to get Llewellyn."


	6. Sweet Dreams

Meat isn't very plentiful in New York's numerous alleys. Unless you're one of those types who like eating humans. Or rotten beef. Fortunately for the human populace, I am neither of those. Well, not yet. Not ever if L holds to the threats she makes whenever I think about it. Which she won't. So I am safe from her.

Still hungry. Failure to find food is not a option. I will find food, one way or another. Good thing it is late for humans. Wouldn't want to be accidentally seen by one and end up on front page of a newspaper the next day. People in general pretend to be noisy. The truth is that they aren't and just are looking for a way to distract themselves and others from their own failings by laughing at others' dark secrets. At least in what I observed.

Snap out of it, Slash. I chide myself. Now you're over thinking things like L does. Sooner or later, you'll be thinking like this during a battle. Wouldn't want that.

I am in a park. A wide ground covered in grass and trees. Central Park it is called, if I remember correctly. It reminds me of the forest I used to stay in whenever L wasn't having her own fun. Which was rarely, and still is. I can smell squirrels. All holed in their holes. It would be easier if they were out running, and more fun too, but I can still get the small furry rodents.

At first, I have no luck in locating the little animals. I am at now my sixth tree, sniffing around the holes to see if anything has decided to bed there for the night. Aha! Found one. The unlucky creature goes down my gullet whole. After I snap its neck, of course. It would too cruel to leave it alive to boil in my stomach juices. I find three more squirrels before my stomach decides its hunger is fulfilled. Good. Now all that's needed is a place to shelter for the night. The grass is so soft...sleep comes for me, no matter how much I fight it. It doesn't matter too much. There is no bad scent in the air, no sign of danger for streets around. After all, what's the worst that can happen here in a calm park?

* * *

"Mom, what's this weird lizard thingy here?" I wake to a child's voice. A young one, about five or six, by my judgement. A pair of warm brown eyes stare at me. I leap up, baring my fangs. I hate being surprised! Even if the ambusher is just a little kid. I am about to attack, when I realize this is a _kid,_ not some guy trying to eat my guts. I stop myself, but it is too late. The boy bursts into tears, brown eyes swimming with tears. "Oh...I'm sorry." I try to calm him down, but he only sobs louder. _Jeez. This kid is going to spoil my cover. _L actually answers that. _Well, you scared him to death. _

I ignore her, an action I am very good at. With the amount of noise this kid is making, his mom or whoever's here is gonna come over and see me too. The only solution I can see that involves me not getting in a fight is getting the boy quiet. "Shh. Shh, everything's fine." I actually wrap my tail around him in my efforts. _Whoa. Actual body contact? You're seriously loving this kid. _L remarks again.

Amazingly, the young kid does calm down after my tail touches him. He looks at it and pets it. The action surprises me enough to pull my tail back. That's when the boy asks, "Are a mutant?" innocently. "I guess you could call me that." I don't really want to get in an entire discussion of why I am not a mutant with this child. "Mom doesn't like mutties." He thinks about that for a second, then adds his own opinion. "I didn't either, but I guess I do now."

Now I really am curious. "Why is that?" This kid is interesting. Far more interesting than any other child I've interacted with before. Which has been zero. Good parents don't want their children talking to a monster. His reply takes me off guard. "Cuz you're one, and you're nice to me. Not mean like Mom says they are." While I'm still taking this in shock, he pets my tail again. "I like your scales. They're a pretty red color." I'm still tense, until his small hands find his way to on top of my snout. I purr/rumble/hiss at his touch, like I'm some pet cat. Eurgh. I hate kowtowing to this petting.

"Nathan! Come over here!" A female voice calls. I assume that is his mother, judging by how his face falls in response to it. He turns to go, but pauses, looking back at me. I correctly guess what the boy is thinking. "Don't worry about me, kid. You think I've survived this long on my own without knowing how to fight?" He nods, his face thoughtful. The young Nathan still doesn't leave, however. "Nate, if I were you, I would be more worried about my mom than some weird monster you just met. This weird monster can take care of herself." Poor kid. He has no idea of who he's dealing with. "What's your name?" Really? Is this young kid really focused more on the fact that he doesn't know my name when his mother's calling?

"You don't really need to know that right now. Maybe if we meet again. Now get to your mom, Nate." I gently push him towards the direction of the voice with my tail. Finally the little guy decides to leave. He hugs my tail and runs off towards a manicured female figure calling his name. Making my way towards the nearest alleyway, I can't help but feel a tinge of regret... I shake it off. Before I put the idea of the kid away for good, I recall he strangely smelled of fire, even with none in the area. Not to mention his hands were strangely hot as he touched me. He will never know my name since I will never see him again. Before the regret returns, I push him out of my mind. Now, to business. No more nice monster. Time to hunt down the cause of this: Carnage.

* * *

This is a just a sweet short scene, left to remind everyone that Slash isn't always a monster. In fact, she often locks away her sweet side in favor of her fighting side. Sadly, no one ever sees her 'nice' so they all think she's a monster. Nate won't show up anymore in this story, but may show up in later fanfictions. For future reference, I will switch between points of view often, so get used to it! Reminding you all: I only own my OCs, which you can easily identify. Spiderman and his villains belong to Marvel, along with S.H.I.E.L.D. R&R


	7. An Ambush and Revenge

I had searched for days in the darkest, dampest places that were in New York City. And I had found nothing. No sign or scent of Carnage anywhere. Not even his kills. He had to have been killing, the symbiote wouldn't last long without him eating the brains of a least some human. I knew that for a fact that everyone had to have a food source; I had been surviving on rats and small dogs to keep from starving. Where was that red-suited murderer?

Chewing on the remainder of my most recent catch, a miniature poodle, I sniff through yet another dead end road. Like the actual physical place, it is a dead end in my search for Carnage. Or is it? I catch a rotting meat scent. It smells human. Before I can get close enough to check it out, I am interrupted by two figures. Both very human indeed.

"Woman, hand over your cash before I shoot ya!" The taller, obviously male, one threatens a smaller, weaker person. He holds a gun in his hand, pointing at the squealing dark-haired woman. The thug shakes in head in response to the woman's frightened noises. "No one can hear ya here. So why don't ya'cha give me that purse?" The man is wrong in his reasoning, that no one can hear them. Even if they see me, they would consider me only a sewer animal, not something intelligent. So he is wrong, one is listening. Me.

Annoying humans! I am about to just make for the back of the alley discreetly, ignoring the two, when L involves herself. _No! We have to help that woman! If we don't, we_'_re nothing more than an animal bent on revenge. _Honesty, I have little care if anyone thinks I'm an animal or not. They already all treat me as a monster, why not animal? L won't let it up. _Help her or I'm going to annoy you the rest of the day. _She can't bother me as much as I bother her, but I might as well do it. It'll give me a little time to search the alley in peace and quiet at the very least.

* * *

George Hekert enjoys yet another day at 'work'. Work as in mugging helpless people. His latest soon-to-be victim is currently pleading and crying for mercy in front of him. "Anyone, help me!" She cries. "As I told ya, no one can hear ya scream." "Not quite." Something hisses out of the shadows. "I can hear it just fine."

What the-? "Spiderman?" George says, but he instantly realizes that this whatever it is isn't him. This is something darker. "No. Of course, I have to be mistaken for a hero. Happy now, universe? Irony hits me like this every day of my half life. It's as if the universe likes to mess with me. Scratch that, every universe wants to mess me up." The woman has mostly shut up except for a few whimpers. Her wide eyes dart back and forth. Susan Lop, as her name is, doesn't want to die, wants to be saved, but is this strange voice owned by a friend or something else that just wants to kill her?

"Huh?" is the answer the uneducated man makes in reply to that strange speech. "With all the luck in the world, I just had to run into a normal, stupid human that can't even understand half of what I just said. Well, let me simplify it for you." A reptilian creature comes out of the shadow. It has bright red scales and what appears to be a pair of wings on its back, but George is more focused on the sharp claws and fangs that come into view when the thing talks. "You are going to die tonight and nothing is going to change that fact." With that, it disappears back into the darkness, yellow eyes waiting for the response.

It takes a few seconds of shock before George really understands what it's saying. "Wait, don't kill me! You can take the woman." Heaving Susan up, he pushes her over to the shadows where the monster lies. With that, Susan's careful balance of terror and calmness is ruined and she begins to scream again. "Tempting but..." The creature carefully steps over her. "Didn't you listen to what I said? 'Nothing is going to change that fact.' Remember?" George trips and falls, searching for his gun on the ground in his panic to somehow get away from this thing telling him he's going to die. "Oh, I see you do remember. Good. Then I can start now."

Susan Lop is terrified. Even more when she was being threatened by a thug trying to mug her. She's glad that this monster, this whatever-it-is, doesn't want to kill her, at least for the moment. But for the man attacking her...his fate is certain. And that's what frightens her. If it was a hero like Spiderman, or the Avengers, they wouldn't kill anyone, even a criminal. The creature has little regard for imprisoning wrong-doers. Instead, it wants to destroy them. Tear them apart.

"Get out of here. You don't really want to see what happens next." Susan backs out of the alley and runs to a nearby signpost, hiding behind it as she makes a call on her cell phone. "Hello? Yes, I would like to report a attack..."

* * *

The man is practically peeing his pants, he is so scared. I know what he's scared of, of course. The monster with its front paws on his chest, about to rip out his throat. Me, in other words. I growl in his face, teeth making their way to his soft throat...

_STOP IT! NOW! _I jerk my head back in surprise. Why is L so angry at me? I stopped the mugging, am right now in the process of stopping this guy from doing it ever again. For he will, first chance he gets. I could smell the satisfaction on him, the pride, the like for what he does every day. That was what made me really care about this. The fact that the man enjoyed it, would hurt for fun...it was almost beyond my understanding. Even if this man gets arrested, he will only do again when he gets out. Prison teaches nothing, I know this for truth. L does too. So why is she so angry?

_You're going to be a monster if you do this. Slash, don't. I just wanted you to help her, not kill the guy. _L pleads with me. I snarl. The mugger's face is surprised, seeing me growl at nothing, but this is my only concern right now. _I helped. Am helping right now by ridding New York of this scum._ Suddenly, I hurt. A lot. Am bleeding. A lot.

While I was distracted, the thug reached for his gun and shot me. Twice. The bullets are in me, making me bleed. They're in my front right leg and chest. Hurting. Healing is fast, but it doesn't stop the pain, until the cause is gone.

* * *

The monster reels back, head dropping down to look at the bullets George just shot into it. "Not so tough now, are you?" He feels strong now. In control. "I'm gonna kill ya cuz ya wanted to kill me. That makes it personal." The creature drops back, wincing in pain. "Ha! that's what ya get when ya mess with George Hekert!" George shouts, lifting his gun up in victory. "Oh really? That's very personal, shooting with a gun, instead of going in for the kill."

Before he can react, something slams into his chest. He flies into the wall of the alley, dropping his gun along the way. The creature is back, with nothing but dried blood on its scales. No wounds remain. The only reason it dropped back was to dig the bullets out so it could heal. As if tiny bullets could kill it...

Sirens sound. Police sirens. The beast growls and backs away from the unconscious George. It goes to back of the alley where a dead, gutted body lies, sniffs it, then takes off by climbing up slowly the wall with claws digging in.

* * *

Thanks to L, I got shot, lost the chance to make stop someone bad for good, and almost didn't get to check out the rotting body at the end of the alley. I am angry at her, for acting up like this. What is her problem anyway?

The anger I can't hold onto right now. The body wasn't a dead end. It had traces of a scent we had encountered before, or rather L did. The symbiote's scent. Carnage had been in that alley, killed that man. This isn't just a manner of revenge now, there needs to be justice. Carnage has to pay for what he did to that man, and so many other people. If I didn't stop him, he would do it again. Just like that thug.

Now I have the scent, I can track him. The real deal in my memory, not the slightest of secondhand memories. It would have been easier if the hospital hadn't insisted on burning L's clothes once she got there after Carnage nearly killed her. The past doesn't matter now, I can hunt him down. And kill him. I smile, all my teeth showing. Death is coming for Carnage.

* * *

It takes a while to find the symbiote. I find him on top of a scraper near the middle of New York City. The wind is in my favor, blowing towards me, behind him. He can't smell me, but I can smell him just fine. I am close enough to attack, But I hold back. I have to wait for the prefect opportunity. He's licking his teeth with his unusually long tongue. Probably thinking it's time to start another killing spree. It's been long enough since his last one.

The thought has me drawing my claws forward. No more waiting. Not when he's going to kill more people. I pounce.

* * *

Carnage squats, looking at all the cattle below. People are so boring without a disaster to stir them up. He licks his teeth, almost unconsciously at the thought. Time to unsettle all of them again. The best part about was the fact that when Spiderman would come, he wouldn't be able to stop him from killing. Thanks to his no kill rule, he, Carnage, is safe. Maybe he'll be locked up if he's caught. But he always gets out, no matter what, to return chaos to the cattle. That's one moment. The next, everything changes.

The symbiote falls over the edge, hit by something ramming into him. He makes some webbing, swinging onto the side of the building. Below, people are starting to notice, starting to scream. Over all, some nice chaos like he wanted, but not on his terms. What had hit him?

Looking over at the closest building, a reptilian creature is there, claws digging into the steel and glass. It is easy to see how it got over there, seeing how the small wings on its back are partially open. Opening its mouth, it roars, further terrifying the civilians below. Leaping off, gliding over again. Claws out, teeth bared. Carnage smashing into it, all claws and teeth as well. Both fall to the ground, citizens beneath scattering to get out of the way...

* * *

Carnage is on the bottom of our tumble when we hit the ground. The road is cracked in several places by the force. It hasn't killed Carnage, but it's bought me valuable time, leaving him stunned. I recover after a few seconds and dive for his neck...

Only to be knocked aside by tentacles shooting out of his middle. Eergh, I had forgotten he wasn't quite human. A challenge then. A real challenge. Finally.

* * *

The two examine each other carefully, seeing what they're up against. Carnage makes the first move. Picking up a nearby van, he tosses it at his opponent. It avoids the vehicle with ease and tosses the crumpled up mess of it on the ground back. "That all you got, Carnage? You don't seem as tough as they say." It taunts, showing its fangs in large grin almost like Carnage's own. "You're right, red scales. I'm not as tough as they say. I'm tougher." With that, Carnage went for it. The duo went over in a tackle, clawing each other and biting. Any people in the area that haven't run away screaming start to now.

Blood on the street. Blood on the post one is thrown into. Blood on both pairs of teeth and claws. That's when Carnage decides not to play nice anymore. Turning both of his arms into axes, he hacks into the creature opposing him. More blood flies everywhere. A mixture of symbiote and creature splatters.

* * *

Carnage is the toughest guy I have ever fought in my long line of fighting. I could lose. Will lose if I don't find a way to keep up and ahead of the game. Head on tackles is what I've been doing. And it's not working. As much as I hate to admit it, Carnage is stronger than I am. But is he faster?

I speed up, light clawed punches in the face. Hah! The symbiote is fast, but not as fast as I am. He can't keep up with these hits, but he can stand them. They won't kill him. While all I need is one of his hits to hit its actual target just to kill me. Can't slow down, can't slow down. Slowing down means death. _Slash. _I barely avoid one of Carnage's ax arms. _Busy right now. What it is, L? _I receive a mental smile. _Spiderman's coming._


	8. Spidey saves the day Or does he?

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman is on his way, to stop Carnage's rampage for the tenth time. Or was it the eleventh? He didn't know, Carnage has escaped so many times and gone on killing sprees that this could be the 20th for all he knew. Yep, it was time to be the hero again. Webbing through the city, he made it to the scene of the crime just in time to see _something _flung into the opposing skyscraper by Carnage. From what he could see of it, it had red scales, small lumps on its back, and -wait, were those lumps wings? The creature had picked itself up and was shaking those lumps open into small bat-like wings.

If he didn't know better, he could have sworn that it was a dragon. Albeit a small one.

* * *

"Raaa!" Sticky stuff in my eyes. Can't see anything. Hurts. Blind. Two serious problems when you're having a fight to the death. Luckily, Carnage seems affected by the same problem I am. I can smell the sticky scent on him, somewhere on his face. Probably his eyes, judging by the location the thing is on my face. I've never experienced this before. But the stickiness smells familiar...

Carnage puts the pieces together before I do. "Spiderman!" he screeches. _Oops. He was a lot closer than I thought. _L quips. _Great._

Claws under sticky webs. Lift up. Tearing the webbing off. I see the red-and-blue hero hanging upside down, staring at the two of us. Carnage is still struggling with the webbing on his face. Looks like the Spider put more on him than me. Either that or he's too stupid to pull it off the way I did. "You guys just calm down. I'm sure everyone doesn't hate the show you were putting on, Carnage and...uh." Spidey scratches his head, finally looking at me closely. "Shoot. Who are you? You're new in town." My toothed grin appears. "Really? What made you realize that, Spiderman?"

* * *

Holy crap! All he needed was a new super villain to show up. One that seemed just as aggressive as any symbiote he had run into, judging by the destruction that littered the area. Wait, how did he know this wasn't another symbiote determined to ruin his day? And life, in the process. "I didn't catch your name, sorry. Related?" Spidey indicates Carnage next to the who-ever-it-is. It snarls, a look of pure disgust on its face. "No way! You think I'm like him? I'm here to kill Carnage, not have a family reunion. Not that I have any relation with alien murderers." The grin returns slowly. "Just have to kill him for my sister, and I'm outta here."

With that, Carnage finally rips the webbing off. He smiles as well. Both fanged grins look eerily similar, even on different faces. "Great timing, Spiderman. Now I get to kill the two of you!" The battle begins again, this time three-way.

* * *

The fight is just between me and Carnage mostly. Spiderman does get involved every once in a while, aiming kicks or spraying webbing. Most of his time is spent saving 'innocent people' from our combined wrath. Compared to this, the battle we had before Spidey showed up was a cake walk. Intense. Bloody. Chaotic. Just the way a prefect brawl should play out.

_Look out! Trouble. Get out of here! _L screams. I instantly run for it, jumping over Carnage in the process. Normally I don't listen to L, the way she doesn't listen to me. But in a tough battle situation, all you can do is take advice from the other person that's noting the things around you so you don't have to. "Who's running now? Get back here!" The crazy murderer is after me. He grabs my tail, pulling me back towards him, trying to rip into my guts. I spin around, jaws open. "You idiot!" I scream. "Don't you sense that something is coming? Something bad?!" I bite his claws holding onto my tail. Carnage lets go after a few bites, so I take the opportunity to run deeper into the city. Just running. Behind me, I can hear jets in the square. S.H.I.E.L.D jets.

* * *

Everything was crazy. Fighting monsters, saving civilians...all in a day's work for a New York super hero. One thing that Spidey didn't expect, is the red-scaled creature lifting its head, eyes in panic. Almost as if it had some sort of spidey sense. Sensing trouble in the air. Next action it takes is getting out of here. Hauling wings and all to a nearby darkened street, it almost gets there before Carnage grabs its tail. "Who's running now? Get back here!" He laughs, reaching forward to start digging in the nearby flesh. Spiderman starts web-slinging over. Even though they were fighting and generally trying to destroy everything, you couldn't have them killing each other. But the creature takes care of itself.

Drawing its jaws forward, it tears into Carnage's claws with its teeth. "You idiot! Don't you sense that something is coming? Something bad?!" Jerking its tail out of Carnage's now loosened grip, it runs, disappearing into the shadows. After a few moments, Carnage snarls and escapes into the darkness as well, leaving only Spiderman and the resultant destruction behind in the open square.

"Spiderman." Peter turns around to see Nick Fury striding out of a nearby S.H.I.E.L.D jet that's just landed. He doesn't look too happy. "What happened here?" Peter gives a nervous laugh and rubs the back of his head. "Well, it's a bit of a story. You know you're the third person this day to say 'Spiderman' with a disappointed ring to it?"

"..." is Nick's reaction to the tale he hears from Spidey. "I know, right? Even I was confused when I first ran into them." Spiderman chats on for a bit before he realizes Nick's not saying anything. "Nick?" At the look on Nick's face, he abruptly changes it to "Fury?" "Did this stranger say anything about killing Carnage for revenge for its sister?" The director of S.H.I.E.L.D. asks suddenly. "Well, it did say something about 'killing for my sister', so yeah." Nick Fury shakes his head. "Just what I was afraid of." He reaches into his pocket and brings out a phone. Dialing a number, he puts it to his ear. "Agent Pole? Yes, this 'creature' that rampaged through here with Carnage is probably the sister she referred to. Get over here and pick up a trail."

"You think you could tell me what's going on?" Spiderman asks. Nick Fury gives him a glare, before walking away towards a couple of scientists examining the wreckage. "Of course not." Spidey sighs, web-slinging into the city.

* * *

I open my eyes. There's blood and dust all over me. I don't know whose blood it is, it's so thick. Slash has problems. I would have been fine if we had just left the city. But no, she has to make a spectacle of herself for all the cameras to see fighting Carnage and Spiderman! _Like you could have done better. _She speaks at last. _You know what, Slash. You're just a big actor for the cameras sometimes. _Her growl sounds in my mind. _I did it to protect you. _I scoff. _I can protect myself. I don't need your help. _

I get up off the rocky ground. Luckily, I am wearing a T-shirt and some jeans, even though they both have holes. Lots of holes. I don't have shoes, just barefoot. Walking, stumbling every once in while, down the road is the pathway to my goal. Eventually I find myself a nice place to sleep, in the shelter of a dumpster. Sleep is nice.

Next day...

Morning is so annoying. I mean, sleep is when you don't have to deal with your problems and issues. You're just...asleep. Dreaming of realms, worlds, everything and nothing all at once. Morning changes all of that. It tugs at your eyelids, pulls at your face. Then you wake up. And all of life, everything you have to deal with, comes to head. The only thing I really find nice about it is the sunshine that peaks over the horizon. I like the Sun. It seems to be the only thing out there that's not determined to get me. There's more evidence of that every day of my life.

Wandering the streets with torn-up clothes and no shoes would draw attention in any other city in the world. It was only New York City where all you would get was a few mutters and some thinly disguised insults implying that they were more upset about you getting in their way than what you were wearing. New Yorkers as a whole are unexcitable lot. Only thing that can freak them out is if one of the many villain-hero battles that take place here either destroys the coffee stand or almost kills them.

I go up to a newspaper stand to look at the papers. I remember doing this two days ago, for Slash. The thought makes me freeze. _Slash, you weren't looking for murders, were you? _My sister growls, clearly uncomfortable with the subject. _I was, to track down Carnage. He's a murderer, isn't he? I could find him that way or by scent. It was unsuccessful with paper news, but it worked with scent. _"Hey, you gonna buy the paper or what?" The newspaper seller's rough voice breaks me out of my conversation. "Maybe." I glance down at the newspaper I am holding. It's from the Daily Bugle apparently. What really catches my eye is the headline. NEW VILLAIN ON THE LOOSE! it screams out. The picture is of someone I know too well...

"I'll take it." I shove some dirty bills in his hand. I leave the guy bemused, looking at the green cash money lying in his palm. I find a safe place near a shop to further examine the paper. Blah, blah, Spiderman is to blame, blah, blah, Carnage, blah...most of the article is just an attempt to blame this new villain's appearance on Spiderman, seeing how he's in cahoots with Carnage to be a menace to New York and the world in general. Right.

I scan the piece to see how much they know about Slash. Nothing much. Just 'it appears to be dangerous, avoid at all costs' junk. Well, that and the picture of Slash beating into Carnage. How the heck did they even get a picture of that? I find the photographer's name underneath it: Peter Parker. For some reason the name gives me the shivers. My intuition has never been wrong before. What role does he have to play in my, no our, future?

_They call me the Dragon? _Slash notes._ Interesting. I like it. _She half purrs, half growls. _I have decided to get out of here with you, like you suggested, instead of continuing my attack on Carnage. Where shall we go? _I smile, relieved at last that Slash is taking my advice. _As far as we can get. To the other side of the country!_


	9. Welcome to California The hard way

It was simple to get out of New York. After all, who notices one taxi among the thousands of them that drive there every day? Getting to California...well, that was more complicated. I'll just say it involved a lot of hitchhiking and plain old hiking (the walking kind). With no physical Slash involvement. But we made it, to the Golden State. And I have to say, its cities are just as butt-ugly as New York's. And smelly. Guess things don't really change, no matter where you go. Oh well. I can only hope that there aren't as many trigger-happy villains or heroes here. Of course, my luck isn't the greatest...

* * *

Venom is hunting. Hunting wrong-doers in San Francisco. In _their _city. They find trouble -and to be future meal- soon enough. A pair of men trying to rape a woman who was just a little too late in hurrying home from work. Now she is going to hurt for it. "Don't shorry." One of the men drunkenly slurs. "Shwe shon't hurt ya. Shill shwe?" The other man smiles. He is obviously quite sober. "Of course not. Not much. Now, I get to go first, If I remember our deal." He pushes the drunk aside, landing him heavily in the shadows. Shadows that are suddenly alive with malice.

A small grunt, and then no more sound comes out of the darkness. The man doesn't even notice, intent on the prey cowering before him. Unaware that now he himself is the prey and the tables have turned...

Something splats on the back of his head. Cursing, he reaches to wipe it off then freezes. It is a glob of flesh. Human flesh. The man only has time to scream once before he is pulled into the open maw of Venom. The woman flees, grateful that tonight, of all nights, she won't die. Blood dribbles on the ground. Bones shatter. Flesh tears in shreds. One more high pitched, almost girly scream and nothing else comes out of the alley. The cold stars continue to twinkle in the now-calm night.

* * *

I know I've promised Slash free reign when we reach the city, but first I need to check things out here. Make sure that there won't be too much trouble to run into. _Yeah right. You're going to trap me inside forever. _Slash snorts. It's been a while since she's been out; I've enjoyed it, she has not. In fact, the last time I remember is the fight with Carnage, a whole week ago. No, make that one and a half weeks ago.

The name of the city is San Francisco. I'm actually sort of relieved that it's not called something like California City. Now that would be creepy. Not to mention weird. The place is even more dirty and messed up than the Big Apple. I guess that makes sense, since there aren't heroes rushing around all over the place to clear it up. I haven't seen any police anywhere, so that probably adds to the factor.

If that's even possible, everyone here is even less out-going than New Yorkers are. To keep trouble from noticing them would be it. Unfortunately, trouble always finds me no matter where I hide. No matter where I go. Already, my bright red hair is starting to draw notice, even more than usual since this is such a dingy grey place. This part of town anyway. Come to think of it, maybe it's just this part of town that's so muddy. It's very on the edge of things.

_L! You're being followed by some males, about your age, give or take a few years. _Slash's voice cuts in. _I would say they don't mean anything good, but you already know that, don't you? _Great. Not even five minutes, and already trouble's after me. Maybe it's fate. Maybe it's destiny. Maybe it's my family and past. Probably the last one.

I cut into a back alley, relying on the hope that it'll lead me to somewhere safer, at the very least. Bad idea. It's a dead end. I'm trapped. But at the coming guys' mercy? No way! My strength and speed should give me a bonus that will help me escape. I have no doubt what they will do to me if they get me. Slash senses where my thoughts are going. _No. I will handle this. _I protest. _I have to take care of my problems every once in a while. Let me do it!_ Her answer is almost a feral growl, making me tremble. _NO. Protection is my job! My purpose! _What was going on with her? What did she mean? I fought too late. By then, she was already out. Out to kill.

* * *

Scum! I hate the sewer trash that constantly interferes with me and L. My mind is in control, L still wailing and pounding away with mental fists. I ignore her. This is for her better good. But I let my body come out of hers slowly. Best to take them off surprise suddenly in this deepest end of the alley. Don't want them to run for it and spread the news of a monster here in the city.

It doesn't take long for them to show up. "Hey girl. You need to pay costs since you're new in this city." A punk, shaved head and all, says. "Our boss is in charge of everything, so you can't do anything if you disagree." A wimpy thin blonde one says with nervous pride. The punk is the leader in this group, I determine, judging by how the others defer to him. I'll get him first, before the others.

* * *

One of the guys in the back notices something strange about this girl they are about to get their 'toll' from. "Uh, Tony? Maybe we should-" Before he could finish his possibly helpful advice, the seemly innocent girl steps forward. "What do you want?" Her voice is strange, but that's probably because she's an outsider. A couple of the teens snort before Tony, the punk/leader, shoots them a glare that quiets them. Everything about her, from her stance to her hair, had proclaimed her an outsider. A newbie in town. And therefore, free game. That was the reason for all this. She was a free opportunity for them, lowest of the pecking order.

"We want you to pay up. Toll, you know-" Tony stops, all bug-eyed. The transformation of the girl is complete. She is now a dragon-looking creature. One with angry yellow eyes that looked like it wanted to tear them apart. They all back up, but they are all too slow. The creature strides forward, every motion smooth and powerful. "No, I don't know, actually. Tell me who your 'boss' is and maybe I'll spare you." The words hiss out of its half open mouth as it regards with now lazy lidded eyes. Some of the boys relax, thinking it's not going to kill them after all, but Tony isn't fooled. Owning street-smarts that made him the leader of this small group, his mind compared the beast before him with a sun-bathing crocodile he had once seen at a zoo. Calm-looking, yes. Safe, no.

The skinny blonde speaks up. Tony silently curses himself. He knew he shouldn't have had Ky with him, he was too liable to crack. Like he was breaking now. "Wwe worrkk ffor the ggang leadderr." Ky manages to get out, after a few false starts of plain terrified mumbling. "Nice to know this leader is the type to agree to this type of behavior." It snorts and then leans closer to Ky, eyes fastening on him. "Which gang do you belong to? Don't lie to me, I'll know."

Ky swallows, throat dry. "Therree issnn'tt aah rreal nname for itt, bbut-" He pauses to nervously lick his lips. Tony steps up to him in the brief pause. "Don't say anything! It'll just kill us all once it has the information it wants!" The earnest tone in his voice makes the boys nervous again, shifting back and forth. The creature gives an annoyed sigh. "I swear I'll spare you if you give what I need." When Ky hesitates, it cuts its arm with its large claws, catching a vein. Blood spills out, staining the concrete road beneath. "I swear by blood." Gang members like these, even the lowest of them all, can appreciate blood oaths. The murmuring dies down as everyone calms down, safe in the knowledge they won't die by nasty monster claws. Tony isn't convinced but he steps down, keeping on an eye on the two, Ky and monster.

The boy continues, a little more confident than before. Well, barely enough to stop stammering. "But some call the gang the Blackbirds. The guys who name these sorts of things, that is. Our boss is the Big Birdie." Tony buries his head in his hands in an effort to keep from attacking Ky. Thanks to Ky's information giving, the Big Birdie was gonna see them all dead. If this thing didn't do it first.

"Thank you for the commentary." The yellow eyes narrow, looking over the group. "Now what to do with you all is the question."

* * *

The cowards tried to get away, but failed. I took them out, every single one. I may have promised not to kill them but that doesn't cover maiming, now does it? Apparently they thought it did. Except for the punk. He was clever enough not to trust me at all, unlike the rest of the fools in his group.

I look around at the bodies around me. They aren't dead, just going to wake up with a very large headache. I squat down next to one of the boys lying sprawled near me. There needs to be a mark, a way for to know they can't bargain with me. No one can make deals with me, not when I have to keep L safe. My teeth show in a grin, as I gently trace my claws on his cheek. Pressing harder, blood runs out...

Three claw marks on each boy's cheek. Right or left, I don't care. Leaving the alley is easy, since the building making this a dead end has many cracks in it, leading me up without having to make my own handholds. Or clawholds. Over the building. Dark enough for me to hide on the edges of life here, unnoticed. Far enough that no one notices me, will remember me. Close enough that I can catch snippets of conversation.

* * *

A police radio comes on, blaring loudly. The cop in the patrol car, groans. "What's it now?" He sets his coffee down on the dashboard and reaches over to shake his partner, who is staring out the window. "Oh yeah, sorry." He says, absentmindedly picking up the coffee left on the dashboard, only to get swatted by his partner, who's driving. "Don't touch that! It's my coffee. Pay attention for once, Jones."

At the scene of the crime...

"What the ^&* # happened here?!" A officer barks at a nearby ambulance. One of the medics looks up and shakes his head. "We're not sure, actually. There's blood all over the place-" "Then it's probably a Venom set-up." The hospital worker glares at the officer interrupting him. "No, it's not. I was just getting to that. One, No one here is dead, though a few will never wake up again. Two, each person has some sort of claw mark on their cheek. Correct if I'm wrong, but I don't think Venom does anything like that. Three, there's been a few scattered mumbles of a 'dragon monster', not black one." The cop drops his chin to his chest, deep in thought. "Well, if Venom didn't do it...who did?"

On a nearby wall...

Venom had been listening to every word that had been said. They hiss, thinking. Someone new in town seemed determined to take the city. But whoever it was would soon discover, that this was their city, Venom's city. And they didn't want to share.

* * *

I do this eavesdropping thing for the next several nights, hiding in alleys to sleep during the day, out of the sight of peering eyes. It is hard to piece together anything from the smallest of crumbs I hear. But I try. L refuses to talk to me or help, upset about what I did, taking over and hurting those who would have hurt her. Blood ran freely...I lick my claws in memory of it. Then realizing what I'm doing, I shake myself. I was going faster into my bestial state than usual without L to help hold me back. Soon I would kill humans just because I could. Just like Carnage. Written into my genetic code, it was a trait and promise in my flesh that fighting is my life. Without somewhere or someone to take it out on, I would become hungry for killing and harming humans around me. Not that I knew much about that. It was L that discovered it in our creators' computers. An attempt to control us, even more than they already have.

I growl, annoyed at myself. I was wallowing in memories and thoughts again! It is what L does all the time and I am not her. I need to track down this 'Birdie'. I can fight him and the rest of his gang, staving off the hunger and paying him back for what he allows to happen. Like the human saying, killing two birds with one stone. Watch out Birdie, Slash is coming for you...


	10. Shadow and Blood run

Somewhere outside of the San Fransisco boundaries...

James Green was busy setting up a business deal. Normally, that would be fine. But this one was taking place for a shipment of illegal drugs from Mexico. He smiles, checking the numbers on the screen. They didn't call him the Birdie for nothing. Leaning back in his hundred-dollar chair, James pops out a bottle of the finest wine. The 'Birdie' pours himself a glass.

That's when everything falls apart.

Something crashes through the skylight in the ceiling. Shocked, James falls backward in his chair, wine spilling everywhere. Luckily, this move is what saves him from being smashed underneath whatever leaped through the window. Broken glass glitters on the floor as the thing picks itself up. "You are going to be in a world of pain, Green." It growls, crawling into the light of a nearby lamp. James Green isn't surprised by much, but this adds even more to his confusion. The light reveals a reddish creature, covered in scales, owning a pair of hand-like claws pulling itself forward. Slavering fanged mouth, raging yellow eyes, flaring nostrils...a prefect picture of a monster. Shards of glass are stuck in its flesh like a porcupine, slowly seeping blood.

The famed Birdie presses a secret button behind a Chinese vase. Alarms go off. The creature puts its head up, looking around in order to find the source of it. While it's distracted, he gets out of there. It notices him trying to run away, after locating the alarm system on the wall. Hissing, it darts forward and...gets its head stuck in a vase? James Green is trickier than he seems, even in an unexpected situation like this. In its attempt to remove the vase, the creature's tail lashes, destroying everything around it.

"Rragh! Get back here, Green!" Snarls, magnified by the vase that is still on its head, echo around the room. The now almost empty room with only the beast inside. Finally, the expensive Chinese vase breaks on the floor. The creature instantly knows its prey has fled. It sniffs around, attempting to find a scent to track by. Luck is on its side. One of the many specks of blood littering the floor by the door is the blood of James Green, not the creature itself. And for the first time, it smiles, jagged teeth showing in a grin that only two other creatures on Earth could share. "Got you now."

* * *

James was having problems. One minute, everything is normal, he was just having a glass of wine. The next, something jumps on him and tries to kill him. His first thought was that maybe one of his rivals had hired it to take him out of the game, but he quickly dismissed it. That wasn't their style, being almost as cunning as he was, they would have found a more subtle way to kill him. More likely, this _thing _had a personal vendetta against him. Problems, problems...he couldn't help it if everyone wasn't happy with him.

Now his pilot was complaining about being pulled in to fly the helicopter. Huh, like he was doing anything better tonight than going to the city bars. "Hurry up, you %&#." James urges the pilot, who is still messing around with the controls. "Fine, fine...what the &$#^$ is going here?" The pilot grumbles, finally starting the helicopter up. They only get a little bit away into the air before a certain red-scaled monster jumps aboard on the windshield.

* * *

No way my prey will escape me! James Green, otherwise known as the Birdie of the Blackbird Gang, is going to pay for the evil he's done and has let be done. Now. The helicopter is slippery with dew from the late night. I dig the claws on my back feet in. Can't fall now, when I am so close. My claws barely scratch the windshield of the helicopter when someone tackles me from behind, knocking me off. We fall through the rain that has just started to come.

* * *

Rain falls down, coating the already dark night with an extra layer of glistening black. The weight of the creature had dragged the helicopter close enough to the ground, close enough that no one would be hurt if they jumped out of it. Which James Green does, leaving the scene behind once his feet hit the ground.

A writhing pile on the ground is in fact two beings, both trying to gain an advantage in this battle. Tearing into flesh with tooth and claw. Healing from each from wound, only to be cut in the same place again. Fast enough that when the blood is spilled, it doesn't even hit the ground before being adsorbed back in the healing cut. Fang hits bone, grinding. Head snapped back by a solid blow. Claws grapple to get a better grip. Red and black. Plus some white.

Bone white.

* * *

Best fight I have had in forever. Even the fight with Carnage doesn't compare. Whoever this is has had either a lot more experience or training. Either is fine with me. This fighter is male, I can smell it. Something about the scent wants me to tear into the flesh even more, though I don't know why. But there is another conflicting feeling of something I can't quite identify...

We separate, to look at each other better. Twisting back my legs to switch to two-legged mode, all the better to see him. I survey him; he does the same back. My teeth are showing in a growl before I even realize it. _It's a symbiote! _L identifies what stands before me. Similar white eye patches like Carnage's, but more ragged and bigger. That, and the long tongue showing between the familiar toothed grin is all that's the same to the red symbiote back in NY. He's black all over, other than one large white spiderish looking thing on his chest. Sort of like the famous Spiderman's. But he smells almost like Carnage. Is that because he's a symbiote too?

Rain is falling, make my scales slick. I glance back at the now-grounded helicopter, knowing that by now both Green and the pilot are gone into the night. With this stupid rain, I won't be able to track either of their scents. I turn back to the black symbiote in front of me. "Why did you have to go and attack me? I was busy." I hiss.

The reply itself is strange. "We don't appreciate you being in our city, harming the humans there." A strange hissing voice, much at contrast to Carnage's. "I only hurt a few of 'em and they were going to attack first. Like you attacked me first, symbiote." A little movement, but not enough for me to tell his reaction. Surprised or not, I can't tell. "Like these ones?" He says, gesturing to the helicopter. I scowl, twining my tail behind me. "He had it coming. That man needs to die for what's he's done."

One question. "What has he done? This man." This black symbiote doesn't question me, ask me why I'm doing it. He seems to understand revenge and need to protect, unlike L, who doesn't. "He is a killer. If not killed himself, he's ordered deaths. Even his other 'work' brings sorrow and death to those who come in contact with it. Drugs is what it is!" I spit out, the hot anger from the first time I learned about this man, this James Green, renewed, rushing in my veins. "It's better for the world if he's dead. Having something against him as well helps my reasoning." Without me really realizing it, my claws are up and the wings on my back are rustling. Rustling in old yet brand-new rage.

* * *

Something strange was going on here. Venom knew it from the moment they found what trespassed in their city. When they found some red creature trying to tear apart a helicopter, the trespasser itself.

For a moment, they had thought it was Carnage, their wretched offspring.

But other details came forward. Wings, different body shape, scales, tail, and more differences. The only thing that was the same was the similar red coloring its scales. Tackling the thing was a simple solution that both symbiote and host agreed on. The one factor they learned in the process was the creature could fight. Pretty good too, for its much smaller size.

After the fighting, the watching, when it spoke. The voice was in pitch of a female, weirdly enough. So they decided it must be a she. She wanted one of the men in the copter to die by her claws. Which was why she had been ripping at it. For a mixture of revenge and some feeling of _rightness_. Just like their feelings against the Spider, but less deep in some ways, deeper in others. They knew better than to offer to kill the man for her; the reaction would just as if someone had offered to kill the Spider for them. She knew that one part of them was a symbiote and she had attached a certain amount of hatred to the word as she said it.

Her yellow eyes were staring at them this very moment, daring them to answer. The wings on her back moving, shifting. Determining whether to fight again or flee. "We know what you mean by that. We know that even if we run you out of our city, you will come back to kill him. So we will think about if you can stay. But first, tell us your name." She backs down, claws down again by her sides, but her wings are still shifting. "Only if you tell me yours." She shoots back. They smile. "We are Venom."

* * *

Venom? This was him? Hmm. I had heard about this Venom guy all over Frisco. 'Lethal Protector' or something like that he was called. His fanged smile reminds of Carnage's, but with less malice. Less, not none. I didn't really want to give him my name but a deal was a deal. "Name's Slash." I also didn't want to get his 'permission' to stay in this city. I go where I like. No one stops me from getting my prey. Not even symbiotes. Symbiotes such as this Venom and Carnage. Grrr...

"So you gonna beat me outta of here? Because I don't go without a fight. And you know that already." The symbiote seems to struggle with himself before answering. Similar to me and L's own inner arguments. "We will allow you to stay if you do not interfere with the city. But do not cross us, we don't forget." With that helpful piece of advice, he melts into the stormy night.

With him gone, I can finally name the other feeling I had: admiration. Part of of it was his fighting skills but there was something more to it; I admired his control. The oneness Venom had shown. If only L and I shared the same ability to work together. Part of it was her and part of it was me. How to fix our relationship, neither of us knew. _It would be fixed, if you stopped trying to butt in, Slash. _I disagree with her, but am too weary to argue tonight. All I want to do is go somewhere to sleep this wet night. Going back on all fours to move faster, as is what I usually do. Four legs to fight and run, two just to talk. I make my way back to city of the San Francisco from this place to find shelter.

Rain. I hate rain. Rain ruins everything, smell and dirt into mud. I sludge to a barely dry alley to spend the night, already knowing that in the morning I'll be soaked. Rain falls more and more, and the thunder starts. Nighttime. Sleep time. Darkness falls. I curl up, knowing I am in for a long night.

* * *

Venom webslings over to the apartment where they were staying. The window is easily opened, so they climb through it into the black room. They don't bother to turn on the lights since they can see perfectly well in the dark.

The black shrinks back to reveal Eddie Brock, the host of the symbiote and one of the two that make the being known as Venom. He goes over and turns on the one lamp in the place before deciding to turn it off again. Sitting down in a chair, he watches outside where the rain falls. Thunder crashes and lighting lights up the sky, illuminating everything for a moment under a stark white glow.

A couple more flashes and Eddie suits up again, going forth into the night. The open window is still swinging back and forth when they leave, rain falling through it. The floor gets covered in wet puddles that get bigger and bigger with each raindrop. Wet night. Dark night. A new night, ready to lead to tomorrow, where blood and shadow run together.


	11. A Second encouter leads to Trouble

I don't own Marvel. At all. Only L and Slash are mine, as lovely as all of these characters are to play with.

* * *

Morning lights up the cloudy sky above San Fransisco. Daylight leaks through the grey, revealing an already bustling city. And also a certain creature waking up in an alley, rubbing her head...unaware that her resting place is very close to an incredibly busy street...that's about to get some trouble. Super trouble.

* * *

Rrugh. I feel like I have a migraine. (Before you ask where I've had one before, think scientists and knock-out drugs.) My body must have been affected more by the fight than I had thought. Bad. I can't afford to be weak here, especially with a symbiote hanging around. _Ouch... _Sounds like L's woken up too. Her voice makes my mind shoot out volts of pain. _What happened last night, other than that fight, that gave us a migraine? Ooh, I think my brain's broken. _With that, she retires to back of our combined mind space to rest.

Great. We're both brain-dead, almost. Survival is essential, but is hard to achieve at the moment. I shut everything down except the first thing to do to thrive here: get food. Out into the light I go, blinking my eyes in the sudden exposure. Creeping forward on all fours, to avoid human attention.

At least until I suddenly can't move up anymore. My right back leg is stuck under something. A lamppost. I growl, frustrated. I'm pushing at it with my snout and front claws when L talks again, recovered at last. _You know, Slash, I'm sorta wondering where the heck the lamppost came from... _Crap. She's right.

I only have a second to look up before something hits me right in the face. A trashcan lid, I identify it. Dizziness...why are there three lids? So much screaming, it hurts. Every running person is doubled, but what are they running from? My head lifts up to stare directly at the figure in front of me. A huge, hulking green one smashing something into the concrete ground. _Ouch, that's got to hurt. _L comments.

Once my eyesight recovers, I finally take in everything going here. And believe me, that's a lot of stuff and people. Robot thingys were attempting to destroy the city. I say attempt because they were failing miserably, thanks to some people in weird costumes. A red-and-gold metal suit shoots with its hands at some robots below. A man with red, white, and blue, holding a American flag looking shield running past. A black-covered man fighting with false claws and purple blades. A woman fighting alongside him, also covered in black. Arrows flying from the bow of a purple man. Yellow and black tiny woman flying around, shooting yellow blasts out of her hand. More, more I don't name fight here on the streets. Why all the colors?

_Great. You're still stunned, Slash. Get your butt up! _L moans, ever the picture of a maiden in distress. I growl, the mess around me is loud enough that it isn't heard. _I'm getting up, L! Just let me figure out where to go first! _That's when I spot _him._ The superhero of NY that stopped me from killing Carnage. The red-and-blue man web-slinging all over the place against the bots. Spiderman.

* * *

I go for it. Can't stay still with heroes like him here. Leaping, swerving around the 'heroes' around me. The metal post was pulverized by my teeth, allowing me to leave the area. As if I could leave, with all the opportunities to fight around here without harming innocents. As if they were really innocent. No one was ever innocent. No one. A bot gets in my way; it leaves, clanking to the ground shredded to pieces. Claws rip and tear, catching on random ridges in the robots' armor. That's when the metal finally reveals what's underneath. "What the-"

Boom.

Blood running out of me. My ears most of all. A freaking sonic bomb! I can't hear anything. I can barely see light through the blood poring down onto my eyes, which thankfully managed to close in time. First a hangover, next a dizzy hit-by-a-trashcan fest, now this sonic explosion? Everything hurts. Pain. My claws flail everywhere and I can't help it. My tail lashes and I can't stop it. I'm completely helpless. And I hate it.

L isn't too hot on it either. _Argh! Major ouchies! Aah!_ Mental screaming is the rest. For once, my healing isn't working fast enough. The pain is still there, overwhelming me. Overwhelming my every sense. Sight: you hear about the blood running into my eyes? Hearing: my eardrums are gone. Almost. Touch: can feel the blood running out, the hard street I'm rolling on. But nothing more. Smell: nose is unable to focus, my body is so destroyed. When it does zone in every once in while, all that I can smell is the blood. My blood. Taste: bit my tongue, hard enough that blood runs out. It hurts too. Thanks for asking.

Something's touching me. Poking me. I can feel it, now most of the blood has stopped running. Who is it, I can't tell. Not in my storage of scents, nor could I see yet. Or hear. Eardrums fuse in, white noise. White noise that slowly becomes words. Words that make me freeze.

* * *

The Avengers had assembled. For probably what was the hundredth time. It wouldn't be the last either. This time was to face a threat that had kidnapped one of their own: the legendary Ant-Man, otherwise known as Hank Pym. The signal was tracked to San Fransisco. An area that instantly came alive with robots thriving to roast Avengers.

There is something screaming, the screams line the air. The last minute sonic bombs within the robots took everyone by surprise, but luckily, all got past it unscathed. Except for something that is still screaming in pain. Still hurting.

Not human, you can tell by the sounds emitting between each scream. Loud hisses and growls no human could make. Alien maybe? "What the heck is making that noise?" Hawkeye asks, saying the question that's on everyone's mind.

"I'll go check it out." Spidey web-slings over to where the screaming is coming from. When he lays eyes on it, he blinks in shock. A shaking, bleeding reptile creature shaking like it's having a seizure, eyes fused shut with the dried gore. You can tell a sonic bomb directly hit it, by how blood is still pouring out of where its ears should be. But that's not what surprises the arachnid-powered superhero. What do you expect, after being hit with a sonic bomb? No, what surprises him is that he's seen this monster before, in New York fighting Carnage. What was it doing here? In San Fransisco, of all places.

"Spidey?" Wasp makes her way over the wreckage on the road. It was hard to believe that only fifteen minutes ago, this was a regular busy street, having normal people driving on it. "Holy crap." She says, looking down at the creature. "What's wrong, Spidey?" "You know the time a few weeks ago I was handling Carnage." "Yep." "Well, this was there fighting him when I got there." The two walk towards the screaming beast, cautiously watching for any aggressive movement from it. Wasp frowns, her mind on the piece of information Spiderman just gave her. "Well, if it was in New York, then what's it doing here?" "That, I have no idea."

Slowly the rest of the Avengers team make their way to the site of the creature's crash. "Ouch. That's got to hurt." Hawkeye says, peering over at it. A loud smack sounds. "Ow! What was that for?" Wasp pulls back her hand. "You don't say that about someone who's likely bleeding to death!" "Well, I don't think any of us knows what to do to help it." Hawkeye points out.

"Hawkeye does have a point. There is nothing we know that can help such a creature." Black Panther supports. He stops, taking a better look at the scene. "Spiderman, what are you doing?" Everyone else in the team swerves around to catch Spidey in the act of poking the beast. He winces. "Just trying to see if it's still alive. Stopped moving and screaming a while ago." That slowly sinks in. Yes, it had been quiet for a while. Was that good? At the moment, no one is sure. The only person not caring is the Hulk, who only comes over to pick up a nearby trashcan lid. "Hulk no like." The big green guy grunts, almost examining the lid. In the process he accidentally gets a little too close to the creature lying on the ground.

Yellow eyes fly open, blood still crusted around them. They narrow in what appears to be rage. Rage that rivals even the Hulk's own. The injured creature leaps up on the Hulk's shoulders and digs in hard enough to bleed.

* * *

My eyes can see, I see...green. Why green? Why so much green? I blink and it comes into focus. The huge green man that had been destroying robots earlier was standing right over me. His back is turned towards me, a mistake he'll regret. The others of this apparent team of heroes have stopped talking, but that doesn't matter now. All I know is that what possibly could be a future foe is standing close to smush me like a bug.

I react. Anger floods forward, holding back the pain I still feel. Leap. On shoulders of green thing. Claws have to spend effort to get in the tough, probably bullet-proof flesh. They manage it. Blood, almost as green as his skin, runs out of the long gashes. He roars, loud enough to shatter the few remaining windows in the area. Not used to getting hurt like this now, big guy?

* * *

Crap. Now the Hulk's hurt. Actually hurt. Missiles have little effect, bullets even less. Heck, this guy's survived a bomb. Several bombs. But this smallish, almost unassuming reptile just tore into the hulking beast with minimum effort.

The rest of the Avengers freeze, all eyes on the Hulk, who's still roaring his head off. Until Wasp tentatively steps forward to take action. She unfortunately has no time to do anything before the Hulk responds to the little clawed burr sticking to his back. "HULK SMASH ANNOYING BUG!" One hand rips it off his back, the other grabs its tail and whacks it several times against the road. Hard. Not as hard as Hulk can obviously smash, but hard enough.

Hard enough that loud cracks sound after the creature is hit a few times. Cracks from the creature.

"Uh, Hulk, you think you can put it down now?" Hulk grunts. "Puny thing hurt Hulk. Hulk hurt it." "I know, but you've hurt it enough now. Put it down." Wasp can be quite commanding when she wants, as shown by the now-complying Hulk. The thing is slowly lowered to the ground. Examining it, it looks unconscious. But things are never as they seems. That statement is proven true once again when the creature blinks slowly and opens its eyes to glare at the Avengers before it.

* * *

Everything hurt. Even worse than before. Insides feel squished. Ribs most likely broken, judging how they shift just from me lying here on the ground. I'm lucky that my limbs aren't snapped like twigs instead. Some blood seeping from between scales, thanks to small rock chips stuck in there. The weirdo heroes are there, in front of where my eyes slowly open. Stupid. I want to hurt someone. I feel my claws clenching and relaxing, over and over. L is long 'asleep', far from this reality of life, unable to cope with the pain. Like I can. Like I'm made to do.

But I can't. Cope with all of it, I mean. I hate to admit it, but the pain is about to take me down. Maybe kill me. Death...what a strange concept. When I think about it, I've never really thought about dying before. L had but that was because she was a worrywart. I have fought tooth and claw for my hold on life over and over, but this time is...different. I would be okay with dying.

Really.

* * *

"What!?" The word explodes out of the creature, finally responding to the superheroes before it. They jerk back a bit, eying it carefully. These people have already seen what's happened with the Hulk. They don't want it to happen again. Its eyes flit between each figure, examining them before going to the next. They stop on Spiderman. "You!" A growl sounds deep in its chest.

"You know this thing?" Iron Man questions, turning to Spidey. He shrugs before answering. "I guess you could say that. This guy was busy trying to tear apart the city with Carnage the other day. Had to go stop them, but both got away just before S.H.I.E.L.D showed up. I didn't expect for it to take a cross-country trip, though."

A huge racking cough sounds, drawing their attention back to the creature. Several more coughs sound after the first, almost shaking its entire body. By the way it clenches its teeth, it is easy to tell the movement is causing it a lot of pain. "We need to help it." One Avenger steps forward to say before being interrupted by the creature, yellow eyes blazing. "No! Don't need help. Don't need anything. Don't need people like you!" The effect of such a verbal assault is ruined by another long cough afterward. Its body shakes even worse than the previous fits.

* * *

My lungs must have something wrong with them, for me to be hacking so hard. Maybe a splintered rib sunk itself into one, releasing blood within. All I know now is that it's getting harder and harder to breathe. I want these fools to leave. I don't want them helping me. Even if it means I'll have the chance to live.

Life from these 'Avengers' means I'll be locked up as soon as I get well. Maybe before that. I've heard they work with S.H.I.E.L.D sometimes and I don't want S.H.I.E.L.D. to catch me after so short a chase from them. I will die first, die now. Taking L with me. I feel regret, like with the nameless boy. Because of my stupidity, she won't live. I failed to protect her. Failed my purpose for existing.

_No. That way. By the purple car. _L's weak words surprise me. But as I look in the direction of a completely totaled car, that is still purple, I see she's right. There is a way out of this mess. The Avenger one, anyway. A alley, more of a narrow tunnel, lies in that direction, desired as an escape route for several reasons. First, it's close enough that I can get there, even in my injured state. Second, dark and easy to hide from these bright colored heroes. The idea is done in my mind now.

Though it may mean our death, L supports me for once. It makes me feel good, actually desired, no matter the pain. No matter the cost to myself.

* * *

It drags itself up, all four legs trembling. Before the astonished group, it slowly crawls forward between Panther and Captain America, it wincing all the while. Only hesitating for a few seconds, the famed Captain reaches a hand down to help. Not surprising, it snaps at it, hissing in the process, "Don't need your help!" The hand withdraws. Still in shock, they all watch the creature creep to a small alley that was more of a rat-hole than an alley.

It is already long gone by the time the Avengers stir themselves to action again. Iron Man scans the area to search for its life signs while both Panther and the Captain cautiously drew near enough to examine the muddy hole. "Jarvis says there are no signs of life anywhere near here." Iron Man volunteers. "Guys?" All turn to look at Wasp. "I know this is important and all, but since we can't find it, could we go look for Hank again?"

A brief silence. "Yep, I guess we could go now, there is nothing here." Leaving the area behind, everyone looks back at some point, all wondering the same thing. What happened to it?


	12. Theiving and Webbing

This rat-hole held within a darker side tunnel. I take it, as wounded as I am. I only make it so far before my legs can no longer hold me up. My body collapses in the muck of here. My once clean crimson scales, already grimed by the battle I had with the stupid robots, are now not even seen-able under the new layer. I sniff one of my legs. Eehw. It smells worse than it looks, a remarkable feat for something that looks like puke mixed up with black/red mud. At least it will block my scent. No one can hunt me down now.

_Or help us, either. _A small input from L in one of her few spaces of awareness. I turn on my side, staring steadfastly at the wall now. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to recall how much I failed, how I'm still failing. But it comes to surface, despite my efforts to forget in my remaining moments of life.

My lungs are still filling, I can tell. Coughs force their way out often. My ribs shift into even more awkward angles. Blood is flowing ever slower from the open wounds in my flesh. That means my heart is beating slower, I think, dazed while watching my life creep out of me. Hello Death, here I come...

* * *

Something catches my eyes. My claws grab it before I realize I've even seen it. It's formless almost, black and gooey, sticking my claws together almost. Examining it closely, I find that this stuff is webbing, black and similar to the stuff Spiderman sprayed in my eyes during our first meeting. But what is it doing here? Lifting my eyes up, I find markings on the wall that could mean that someone had been pinned to this wall with the webbing. A particularly vivid brownish-red splotch is in the spot where someone's head would be. That person died right then and there, full of fear, I suppose.

Don't care. I get one of my claws free to push all my ribs in place. It hurts, enough that I scream. Screech, more like it. Can't worry about the people who may have heard that now. Use other claw covered in goo to smear the webbing across, acting as a pretty strange binding bandage. Works fine, keeping everything in place, even with me cautiously crawling forward out of the muck puddle. Ripped rags on the ground are relatively clean. Clean enough that using them to clean out my cuts won't hurt anything. More than it's ready been hurt, that is.

Coughing. Harder and harder. Blood coming out of mouth. Grr. Stupid lungs. I lap a little bit of water out of a dirt-filled puddle. It makes it better, but only by a little bit. Guess the only thing I can do know is wait for it to heal. Won't die just yet, sorry to disappoint. Not with the ribs fused back together. The pain would have killed me, not just the bloody lungs. Now that the pain's gone, I can live. Survive at the very least.

Time passes. Not much, only a few hours, but already my lungs are feeling better. At least I'm not coughing any more. L is awake too, begging for something I can't give yet. _Please, please, let me take over again? Pretty please with a cherry on top?_ We have to wait until we are better. I explain this several times, but she doesn't listen much. Or at all. Finally I back off. Our body is healed enough for now. Only to stop the annoyance.

* * *

Waking up in your own body isn't too bad. It is when you don't have any clothes, unless you count the weird black stuff across your middle, and you almost died. (Does that count?) Luckily Slash was kind enough to gather some clothes from wherever before we traded places. Old jeans, underwear, a grey T-shirt...plus a nice purple hoodie. Almost new. Cool.

I can make in the streets. Some of my body still hurts, especially my ribs, which are still coated by the webbing. I hope nothing comes looking for that webbing any time soon...that would be annoying, to say the least. Oh! An apple! I pick it up, only to find that its bruised. I stare, hoping that the bruises are just dirt. They aren't. Awww, I love apples. Since I don't have anything else to eat and I'm hungry, I bite into it.

And spit it out as soon as it touches my tongue. The disgusting piece of brown mush sits there, accusingly, on the sidewalk. Heck, that was stupid of me. No apples, I decide, throwing it away. I scavenge some food later on. Food that's not exactly fresh, but it'll do. People don't notice me. That's not much of a surprise. Homeless people are invisible in big cities, and by all accounts and appearances, I was one.

I find myself a nice nook where no one else will dare go: a creaky windshield hanging behind a sign, almost over the edge of the building. I pick it because I won't smush as easy as most people will. After all, I have a little someone named Slash inside of me. _Nice to know I'm appreciated for my none squishness. _Slash cuts in sarcastically. _Oh well. Better than nothing, huh? _I say. I'm already drifting off to sleep, so I don't catch her reply. The dreams are sweet, a first in a long time. And when I wake in the morning, I'm hopeful. Maybe this could be a new start at last?

* * *

Time passes. I don't keep track like I used to. What's the need? My chance for an even average life is ruined, so why stay mad at Slash? There's no chance now that it'll matter if Slash comes out when I get mugged or something. I don't go to school anymore because of that. That was the only reason I really watched the days. Well, that and my old life, of constantly fighting in a war. Keeping the days kept me sane.

Every time is the same. I find food and watch the city come to day life, legs swinging as I munch on my windshield perch. Once everything's stared, I leap down and play my role. Watching everyone and everything around me. I see the stolen kisses that bring a smile to both receiver's and giver's faces, dropped envelopes found and returned, the smashed fruit gobbled up by poor, hopeless mutts, allowing them to live another day. I also see the car crashes, the ones where no one walks out of there, the broken faces of those who have lost everything in a swipe of a moment, the dead after someone gets to them in a dark alley. Everything is fine, until one day I'm not quite as attentive as I am normally.

In my defense, I did get distracted by a group of nearby hot college students. That in itself isn't beyond normal (they are drunk, after all). What one calls out to me teasingly is. "Hey cutie, gonna be alone forever?" I walk away, but stew over the phrase. _I really am alone. Except for Slash, that is._ I correct myself. Slash, sensibly, doesn't mess with my ideas on the subject.

I am so lost in my thoughts that I don't realize until too late that some people are following me. Until I've been backed into an alley. Crap. And just when I thought things couldn't get any worse. I panic. "Leave me alone! You don't want to deal with me!" I say, voice pitched a little higher than normal. As soon as the words come out of my mouth, I realize that saying them was a bad idea. What the toughie in front does next only seals my belief in that. "Yeah? You gonna stop us?" He growls, eyes darting back and forth between me and his laughing buddies. "You and what army, little girl?" Little girl? I knew I was lean for my age but little? That was just insulting.

I hiss. Before I realize it, obviously. I'm not that stupid to do on purpose. That causes the thugs to laugh harder. "You're a little bird." One says, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. Slash takes to exception to that. _What sort of idiot would think that a bird could make that noise? I can't believe you got caught by these guys._ Really, Slash? _Thanks a lot. _I say sarcastically. _Welcome. _Slash still busy scoping out the ugly men in front of us, so she misses my sarcasm.

They move forward. Ready to do whatever they're gonna do to innocent girls like me at night. Probably mug me. Or rape me. Maybe both. But lucky for me, I can stand up to these freaks and beat the crap out of them. Or Slash will. Either way, the group is screwed. I smile. Time for a major beat-down.

* * *

But not from me. Something drags away the guys that stand on each side of the middle one. The leader. He's oblivious to what just happened. And to be honest, I don't really understand what happened either. I double over, the transformation between me and Slash already taking place. Once a big ball of anger got rolled, I couldn't stop it! Fangs slid out from gums. The man is at least smart enough to know something is very wrong here.

Very wrong.

Suddenly, he gets hoisted into the air. Twisting and screaming, the man disappears. I have a feeling it's for good. Sure enough, I hear the cracking of bones. "Don't hurt innocents." A very familiar voice growls. I personally have never heard it before, but Slash has.

_Hurry!_ She urges. For some reason, she's trying to retreat back into my body instead of out. I grasp her reasoning quickly. How would this symbiote would react if there was a monster where a girl stood moments before? He would assume we were here to kill him and attack us, that's what. "We don't like those who hurt girls for fun." The man is thrown down. He groans. Whoa, he's actually alive. Who knew?

I groan again, this time the pain is for real. It hurts for Slash to try and shove back in the middle of a transformation. The culprit of the acts of violence that have been just performed leaps down. Huge fangs, white spider on chest...yep, I'm in trouble. Not for the first time. What else is new?

* * *

Venom watches. They're always watching for trouble now. Leaping down, after they've taken care of the thugs, they see something they don't expect. The girl that the thugs were going to attack, she's twisting. Turning in pain. It reminds them of their first bonding together for some reason.

A strangled growl erupts from a mouth that opens to reveal long inhuman fangs that shouldn't be there. She almost curls up, spines shooting out of her backbone. A few more minutes pass and the transformation is complete. The result is panting on the floor when Venom realizes this thing was something they had run into quite recently. Yellow eyes, red scales...it is the trespasser Slash.

* * *

I get on all fours. I try not to pant, but I can't help it. I hate displaying signs of weaknesses to someone I don't even know. Finally, I look up to see Venom right in front of me. He smiles. "Hello Slash."


	13. Knowledge and Fighting

Venom is slightly amused as Slash scrambles to her feet, almost slipping in a nearby puddle of blood. Some of it must have shown on their face, since the female snaps, "What'cha laughing about?" Like the first time, she does not seem to concerned about who she's insulting. Or what they could do to her.

"You have caused us some trouble." They begin, before Slash interrupts. "Yeah, right. _That _was trouble." The two of them hate being being interrupted but Venom holds their patience. Barely. "We told you to leave town if you couldn't keep from destroying things. Leave." "You're not going to make me." With that, the creature pounces, attacking first.

* * *

The fight is harsh. One between beasts, no rules, no limits. Even worse than the first fight they had with each other. Carnal. So loud that even the mostly sleepy, 'clueless' people notice.

Scales are torn off, in exchange for sticky patches of black. Neither of the fighters rest, each both earnestly searching for a way to kill their opponent. The battle has moved on to open street, where cars stop as their passengers get out to see what the hold up is. Most of them hurriedly move out of the way when their eyes catch what's going on. A few, however, try to catch pictures with cameras and phones. This is, after all, a once in a lifetime opportunity.

One of the cars turns into a pile of scrap metal when a combatant hits the windshield. The night is dark enough that passersby can only see flashes of combat, not details like who's who. Groaning, whoever it is gets back up only to throw itself back in the battle. Blood drips off the shards of glass that somehow still line the space where the windshield used to be. That moment of weakness isn't much, but it's enough for the symbiote to catch what wraps around their opponent's belly.

A kid nearby catches what happens next on his phone, footage that will roar across YouTube for hundreds of thousands of viewers all over the world for the next week or more. It is clear, abet shaken by the kid a lot. (Why wouldn't it be?) Clear enough for everything to be seen by the audience of the world.

* * *

Footage begins pointing at the dark road. There isn't much, but you can barely tell the forms of two...things wrestling in the shadows. One of them is tossed in the light of a nearby lamppost. A scaled creature, it is covered in patches of red and black, scales and blood. A particularly large patch of black shows on its up-turned gut. Growling, it tries to get up, but can't. At least not in time.

No time enough to avoid the quick claws that tear off its make-shift bandage.

The effect is immediate. Screaming, the creature rolls over. The shifting in its midsection where it shouldn't be is very noticeable. Even more so when it gets up, staggering. The screams get louder and louder, transforming into hoarse roars. Unbelievably, it still fights. Not very well, seeing how its foe easily avoids every one of its attacks. Or weak enough, they don't even bother dodging. Further enraging the beast even more. At last, there's an opening, even better than the others in the past, and the creature's foe takes it. That's when they come into light, both for the first time clearly seen by camera lens.

Black with white patches for eyes...the Lethal Protector. Venom. Red scales, wings...a dragon? Whatever it was, it is in terrible pain but still defiant, baring fangs at Venom. He reflects it back, but on him, it's a...smile. Rushing forward, he knocks the beast over. Head over tail, it flips until it crashes into a nearby way. For a while, there's nothing, nothing but dust and almost-silence. The screaming starts again and the symbiote makes his way over to the wall pile. It's the last view and with that, the filming ends.

* * *

The video isn't much, just maybe 30 seconds at most. However, many watch it, hearts racing. Including more than a few super heroes.

Peter Parker sitting at home. Doing nothing. The first doing nothing in a long time. After finding Hank (and destroying some robots), it had been on and off with various super-villains returning to carry out revenge on him. First the Vulture, then the Rhino, Shocker...the last had been Doc Ock. Man, that had been a nightmare.

"Peter? It's for you." He looks up, startled out of his thoughts. "Who is it, Aunt May?" His elderly aunt answers cryptically. "He says he wants to talk about a girl. From school." With that, she hands the phone over. "Hi there!" "What- Johnny?" Peter walks out of the room. Why was Johnny calling him again? Last time he called, it was to have a race. The Human Torch had won that round.

"Look, Petes, you need to look up something on Youtube." For once Johnny didn't seem, well, on fire. There was a smallest tinge of...worry...in his words. "K, I'm there. What is it?" The next words freeze every bit of spider-DNAed blood in his veins. "Try 'Venom Dragon Beat-down.' " Heart sinking, Peter types in the words and clicks on the first time to come up. It already has over a thousand hits on it.

"That's not good." The only words that leave his now-dry mouth after watching it. "No duh, Sherlock." "Looks like S.H.I.E.L.D.'s gonna be all over it."

* * *

No truer words were spoken. Indeed, S.H.I.E.L.D was in fact, all over it. A team is dispatched to the San Fransisco area. Their orders are: capture the strange creature, but if you can, catch Venom too.

* * *

Strange. The figure lying on the road, surrounded by smashed wall pieces, isn't the person that they, Venom, happened to throw over here. Instead of a scaled creature that is otherwise known as Slash, there's a naked human girl with red hair. Looks like the same girl that Slash burst out of. Is Slash a symbiote as well? Venom thinks about but puts the idea down. No, if she was, they would have sensed it.

Venom picks up the girl. They can't leave her for the humans to take and grab at. If their suspicions are correct, she's not entirely human. And they know what happens to not-humans. Not to mention, they're curious. Who is this girl?

* * *

I am awake. Almost. Slash probably messed up, again. As my eyes open, I become aware of two facts. First, I'm moving. In motion. Is that a good thing or bad thing, I wonder. Second, well, I don't have clothes. Great. And crap. _Curse it, Slash. _Slash doesn't respond and that's when I realize the third thing. My body is hurting bad. Bad enough that I sink into a stupor and become aware of no more.


	14. Traps and Demons

What makes me wake up is the sunlight dancing across my eyelids. I open them slowly. Where am I now? I hate doing this over and over again, but it seems to be my destiny to wake up in strange places. Weird, huh? I sit up, only to find I'm only covered by a thin blanket. Great. No clothes. Again.

I amend this to yes clothes, noticing a small pile next to me. Putting them on, they fit fine almost. Just a little loose. Now I'm dressed, I take better stock of the room. Messy, clothes in piles around me. Dirty dishes in the sink that's in the room next door. Yep, a guy definitely lives here. Why am I not worried about this? Scratch that, why isn't Slash all over this with me? _Slash?_ Nothing. That's bad.

I've just come to this conclusion when a few seconds later, someone walks in through the door. Blonde man, a bit hefty. He pauses, looking me over. I don't like that look. At all. "You're up." Is he surprised? I think so. "What's it to you? I'm the person who just woke up in a strange man's apartment." His face twitches. "I guess you are." Without another word, the man sits down at the small table covered in pizza boxes. I watch him, wary, not sure how to react. He nods to the other chair and I take the hint to sit down. The guy mutters to himself under his breath. Is he...arguing? With himself? Right away, I promise myself that even if Slash can't help me right now, I am getting out of here.

He steels himself, I think, and he leans over. "What are you?" The question finally sparks some emotion within me. Fear, maybe. Crap. I have to get out of here. Before he does something to me. If he hasn't already done something. His hand is right there, next to a long-forgotten fork on the table. I close my hand over the fork while he watches me. "What are you?"

That's when I stab his hand with the fork.

* * *

Go for the door. Get whacked away from it by something. Skid on my butt a couple feet. Turn back to see black monster coming after me. Scream. Try to run. Get dizzy. Still no Slash.

Stupid drugs.

The black monster known as Venom is after me again. He shoots some webbing at me, sticking me to a wall. I'm stuck again. "We won't ask again. What are you?" The big freak says, long tongue getting pretty close to my face. "First of all, get out of my face. Second, why should I tell you?" Right then, I drop out of the web trap. Thanks to me and Slash's shared body space, I can borrow from her, like against Carnage. Using sharper than normal fingernails has its uses. Venom hisses, acidic saliva splattering on the floor. I flash my claw-nails. "Right back at ya!"

Dive for the window. Crap, it's closed. Smash like bug against it. Slide down the glass. Last thing I see before the dizziness knocks me out is Venom's grinning mug.

Curse him.

* * *

Venom looks at the girl. She is strange, very strange. And she still didn't tell them who and what she was. Or Slash. They look at her hand to find small almost-claws. As they watch, the claws melt away into normal fingernails. Venom webs the girl to the floor. Webs both of her hands up as well.

Now all they can do is wait.

* * *

"Hello, anyone there?" I'm on the floor, covered in black webbing. "Hello? Oh man, I gotta pee. Anyone there? Now?" Nothing. I sigh noisily. "Fine. I'll tell you everything." The magic words. Venom swings down from the dark ceiling right then.

"Not you." I try, unsuccessfully, to get of the net. "Curse you." "Tell us everything now." Man, that guy is so insistent. "Fine...wait a second." _What the crap is going on, L? _Can't help but grin at the sound of that voice, a first. _Tell you later. Get us outta here! _Slash sighs. _Got it. I'll kick Venom's butt. Fun._

* * *

Change is swifter than usual. Maybe cuz we both want me out. The webbing unpeels from the sudden shape change. I take down Venom. Hard. Jerk elbows me in the eye and when I back off, follows it with a clawed scratch on my left arm. Claw back, add on with a hit to the gut.

"Slash? You and the girl are the same?" Venom's clearly confused. "You could say that." Uppercut to left and right. Right is caught. "Bad idea." He hisses, crushing my claws in his grip. With one smooth motion, his other hand grabs my throat. He lifts me up, choking me. "You are trouble, Slash." I only growl in reply. _And you are jerk, Venom. _L trying to be funny again.

"Let me go. I'll tell you now." Venom only laughs. "You think we'll fall for your tricks again?" I shrink. I can't fight and hate what must be done: leaving L in the mercy of this sick freak.

* * *

Yay! My plan worked. Small enough to slip out of this guy's grip, I'm free. Until he comes after me again. Size up now. Go Slash! (Hmm, maybe I can write a new catchphrase for the two of us. Kinda like 'Avengers Assemble!' But less lame and just as catchy. Wait, what are you reading this for? Go read the rest of the fight! Sheesh...Readers.)

* * *

I'm back, kicking Venom's legs out from underneath him. But he's quick and is soon back up. Two to four, bite attack. Get my tail grabbed and slung into floor. Snapping and growling, I leap onto Venom from there. "You think you can keep me down for long? No way!" More webbing. Stuck...again. The symbiote walks up and looks me over. "You were just sssaying?" Growling and hissing, twisting and turning in the too tight web. Can't change, can't change, stuck. None of that does me any good. _Slash, i think we should stop fighting now. _I stop a second in shock. _What?! You want that freak to do something horrible to you?! _I scream. _No, no. Only for now. That_ _way, we can catch him off guard later. _Thinking over this, I decide it makes sense. I stop fighting the net and stare at Venom. "I know what you want and you know what _we_ want. Life will be a lot easier for everyone if we make out a deal." He grins, tongue snaking out. "Of course. Easier for everyone, but mostly you _two._" Venom purrs. Curse it.


	15. Deals and Broken Promises

Now they have this creature right where they want them. Girl and Slash. Physically at least. But they need both physically and mentally. Everything must be theirs. This is _their _city. Both Eddie Brock and Venom symbiote agree on this. Slash stares at them, waiting for their reaction. "Hmm. Deals are always good. But only if one follows them. What guarantees you doing your part? Or both of you, for that matter?" She shoots back an answer quickly enough. "What guarantees you'll do _yours_, Venom?" They almost smile again, it is too sweet. "You'll just have to trust us on that. Both of you, the girl and Slash. Or are you claiming you're rage, unable to keep promises and she's everything you're not?"

The blow stings. You can see it in Slash's eyes. A barrier that's been there for ages just got hit. "Still," She grinds out. "What will make me keep to your deal if I have to trust on yours? Or rather, what will make _us_ keep it?" "We're glad you asked that question. This will." Part of the webbing around her neck forms into a sort of collar. She roars in outrage and tries to pull it off. But it stays. Eventually she stops pulling. "Fine. I can see how that would work." Slash says, with a bit of grudging admiration in the simplicity of the idea. "The deal for us two is that you don't try to kill us or make us leave. Got it? We want to stay here. For now."

Enough loopholes to exploit in it. Obviously Slash has little experience in making deals. "We agree." Kneeling down, they cut her loose. The response is immediate; she leaps up and opening the window, leaves through it. The night has come, dark enough that no one would see a strange dragon roaming the streets. But, unfortunately for her, she didn't hear their terms. The symbiote knows Slash'll know soon enough. For what they have planned...is soon this 'dragon' will find to her regret she's theirs in debt. Payment will be theirs.

* * *

Life is good at the moment. My ribs have healed completely. The super-villain known as Venom has let me go. But I have a feeling he'll be back...demanding his part of the deal from me and L. _I'm not gonna worry about it too much, but could we get some barbequed ribs or something? _I show my teeth at the moon above, thinking it over. We can do it tonight. _Sure, why not? Ribs it is._

* * *

Nice to have a night just to enjoy some food. Slash enjoys them too. But then, they are meat. Barbequed or not, meat is her thing. As I sit there munching on ribs (Before you wondered, Slash got the money off the guys who mugged us when we first got here. So there!), my mind wanders to the Avengers. _I wonder how they're doing..._

* * *

Meanwhile in Avengers Mansion...

Today was Disaster Day. Yep, that was what Tony Stark was going to call this day forevermore. Seriously. Today, all within a matter of hours, the Hulk and Ben (otherwise known as the Thing) had gotten into fight over cards that had resulted in several large holes in the Avengers Mansion, the X-Men were invading the mansion in search of Kitty (who had disappeared...again), and Thor was battling Loki's pet wolf, destroying the city in the process. And he, along with Wasp are taking care of a Doombot invasion. Late at night. Why couldn't have Doom chosen to attack during the day? Nope, life couldn't be worse.

_Sir, Nick Fury is requesting to speak with you._ Wait, maybe it could be worse. Now it is. "So Fury, how'ya doing?" Tony dodges some bolts and fires back a few of his own. "Stark, I have been informed about your 'encounter' in San Fransisco." "Oh, that." Tony couldn't help but be a little curious. Was S.H.I.E.L.D. interested in the thing they had run into while looking for Hank? (By the way, Hank was fine now. The team found him before anything really bad happened.) Of course they were. They were S.H.I.E.L.D. after all. "That and various other reports reveal whatever it is, it's dangerous." Tony couldn't help adding in a little snip at Fury. "Like the Hulk?" Silence. "Great. Jarvis, did Fury cut the connection?" _He did indeed, sir. _

That can't be good. As Tony knows from experience, Nick Fury doesn't stop until he gets what he wants. So what did he want...and get?

* * *

Back in San Fransisco...

Ribs, done and paid for. I'm outta here. No use staying now. I walk out, leaving a nice enough tip on the table. The streets are cool in the dark, but dangerous. I can deal with it. I hear some noises and follow them to a Starbucks that's apparently still open at this time. Coffee...the thick scent fills the air, more and more the closer I get. Not too bad. A dumpster nearby provides the prefect shelter. I crawl inside, pushing aside a few black trash bags to make room for myself. Mmmm. Nice and warm. Sleep isn't as swift as I'd like it to be, but it comes soon enough.

* * *

**Running and running. I don't know what I'm running from, only that if it catches me, I'll be toast. Faces and places flash past. They want to help but can't for some reason. Every time I get close to a hand held out, it withdraws quickly. Darkness all around. Blackness. I'm caught, can't get free. Fighting to get out of black...webs? Red spirals around as well and I look up to see...a huge fanged grin glowing in the dark. I scream...shaking, blurred edges. Scream...**

* * *

...And wake up. Dreams seem to get harsher as they get on, I reflect. I'm still shivering form it, no matter how many times I tell myself that I'm _fine, _not scared and alone. Slash can't really comfort me in this. She has her own dreams and nightmares to worry about. And we both have ours at the same time. Right now, I bet that Slash is also shivering in my mind from whatever dream she had. _Am not! _Well, maybe not.

But I really doubt it.

* * *

I did not have a bad dream. Did not! Never had, never will. Especially not of her. A girl, I fought by her side in the war L and I had taken part in. A rebellion of children, tired of hunted for being different, verses adults, who were scared that change could bring the world to an end, like it almost did the first time. I am still reminded of irony of how the two of us were kicked out for our differences, when we had fought for a world where differences, no matter how dangerous, could be accepted. And when I think about that, I think of the girl.

She was of what humans call Asian descent, with slanted almond eyes and yellow-brown sugar skin. Black hair with a dyed streaks of violet. Her name was Ana, nicknamed Rocket. The reason for that nickname was her almost super ability with electronics. Once Rocket's hands touched them, they almost seemed to dance to her will (never to mine. I am horrible with technology).

She was almost a friend...until she died.

It was a half grey, half blue sky battleground on the mud flats. The team L and I were on was responsible for clearing the field of mines. Rocket and other 'techies' did most of it. I, with two others, was there to make no straggling enemies could attack them. I always knew the real reason, though. Everyone was afraid of me, at 'home'. Those in charge would ship L off at every opportunity they could, afraid of the monster lurking inside her. She never saw that. I did, since I knew what a monster everyone thought of me, including L herself.

Rocket was afraid at first like the rest, but unlike everyone else, she actually tried to find out about me. She was working on a mine when some idiot soldiers attacked. I fended off most of them, only to find the two other fighters on the team attacking me as well. "No freaks allowed." They said. Jerks.

I delayed them enough that they couldn't hurt me. Much. By then, our enemies had returned and were about to stab me in the back. Was too distracted by the blood to notice them. Rocket saved me. Blasted them but the last one got her.

I watched her die. When our 'allies' came over to see what was taking so long, they found L sobbing and rocking Rocket's body. She had friends that could comfort. I have none to go to, not even L herself. Monsters don't have friends. Monsters don't cry. Never.


	16. Brains and Hurt

The street ain't too busy. I sneak out of the dumpster I slept in last night. Walking out, I sneak a doughnut from someone's open box. He looks up. "Hey kid! get back here!" By then, I'm already gone. Gobbling the doughnut, I absentmindedly scratch at the black goo collar around my neck. It squirms, feeling...alive. Yuck.

There's always trouble in this city. Heck, there's always trouble everywhere. But the difference here is that there are 'super heroes' that take care of it here. In the big ones mostly. But this one was...an exception. Only Venom, the Lethal Protector lived here and he only came out at night, I've heard. So much suffering. It makes me wonder if the people back in my world are doing any better. Getting to make your own choices without outside 'help' had its costs.

_L, I want my two months now!_ I wince, Slash's voice boring into my skull. Oh man, I had forgotten that deal I had made with Slash after our first encounter with Carnage. Now there was this deal with Venom. How many would I have to make?!

I heave a sigh. I am so tired of this place. Maybe letting Slash take control would make it easier. _Ok, but don't let anyone know about our connection and- _Slash interrupts me. _Other than Venom? He knows now. _I sigh again. _Fine, except for Venom. Don't destroy anything!_

I go somewhere dark, so no one will see me change. (No, not clothes change! Sheesh, how sick are you?) Slash gets her turn now.

* * *

I sniff the air. It's so thick with smoke and pollution. I can tell of human scents, but I can't tell the difference between them, and barely how far they are. I'll have to get used to this environment. Never had much time to do this before, didn't matter then because L wanted to be out.

Now...I have all the time I wish. Transferring my weight to four legs, I get on the move. Climbing around on the tops of buildings in broad daylight doesn't matter when humans never look up. There were a few exceptions to every rule, of course, but I move fast enough that they can't get a second glimpse. Ha. Silly humans. Even when they see truth, they often deny it, it's so strange and unusual. Ha. Again, silly humans.

Sampling the air again on a the side of particularity tall building, I have to wonder. What would life be like if L and I weren't linked? If we each had our own separate bodies? L's already experienced something like that, before I woke up, but I never have. I look down at all the little people scurrying to do their own little things. Could I ever be accepted here or anywhere, if I had my own body? Looking around at all the human things, glowing signs, cars, seeing no trees or animals to hunt for food, I know that this world would never accept me. There's no room for me here, like in my own 'world.'

I shake myself. Heck, I can't be thinking about life like L does. What is wrong with me? _You've never had time to do it before. _A small insidious voice whispers in my head. Not L. I growl at my reflection. Shut up, stupid brain.

I wander the rest of the day. Until nightfall. Night time is when _he _is out, so I don't wanna be. But I'm hungry. Curse it! I hunt, but there's nothing out. Not even rats, likely they live in the sewers instead of the city. _You know, you could try a hot dog. _L. _You_ _know, those things are full of chemicals I_ _can't eat! _I receive a mental shrug. _Suit yourself. We could both be satisfied if you would let me be in charge. _So that's what's it about! _Never. We made a deal. _

I cut the connection before she can reply. L never keeps her promises! Ever! She thinks just because she's human and I'm not, that we're stuck together for life, she can do whatever she wants while I have suffer for her decisions. I smile. And I know how to make her suffer for mine.

* * *

Venom has just torn into a criminal that just was unlucky enough to do wrong this night. When they look up, Slash is there watching, with tail curled over her claws. "You're here?" They ask, a bit surprised. "Yes." She answers, eyes on their kill. And without warning, she moves forward and rips into the human flesh. They hiss at her, "Get your own kill." Slash hisses back, but she does back off. "You can show me where I can get my own, can't you?"

Venom looks at the creature that's thirsting for human blood in front of them and grins. "Of course we can. But the brain is always the best part."

* * *

**No. No, noo! Why did she have to do? Now...now we kill for fun. We can't do this. Why does it have to end this way?  
**


	17. Hunting and Friends

Holy heck, I can't believe I've gotten to this point. Thanks to reviewers for actually sticking to this fanfic. :)

* * *

I sleep in back alleys during the day. I prefer daylight, but my newest form of company doesn't like to be seen in it. Nighttime is our time. My steadily growing blood hunger is satisfied by what we do then. Hunting has always done that for me.

My scales are too easy to see in the dark. I don't want S.H.E.I.L.D to find me super fast either. I've seen human girls cover up their fingernails with something they call 'nail polish.' If I have enough of it, it could cover up my scales as well. Navy blue is a dark color, good enough.

* * *

At the store, there was barely enough jars to cover every inch of my scaled hide. I almost laugh, imagining what the human who runs the store will think in the morning. Silly humans. Not all of the jars were navy blue, though. Some were black, some deep plum, others a thunderstorm grey. As a result, my hide is a multitude of darkened colors.

Wonder what my 'partner' will think. I know I can't trust him, any more than I can trust L. _But he sure is nice to be with._ Some piece of my mind whispers. _Shut up. _L unsurprisingly has nothing to add to this. Ever since that day when I first tasted human flesh with Venom, she has said nothing. Nothing. At all.

Part of me feels horrible about this. _We were made to protect her! _It wails in my mind. _She betrayed us. _Logic replies, crushing it down. _Besides, _it adds, _we weren't created to protect her. We chose that purpose for ourselves. We were made to kill all in our path. _

I growl. I hate this multitude of thoughts that have plagued me ever since the day L stopped talking to me. "Hello Slash." His voice penetrates my inner battle. "Nice look you have now." I turn to see Venom watching me. "Hello Venom. Ready to hunt tonight?" His tongue licks his fangs. "More than that, we think." "Let's go." I said, not really sure what his comment meant. (Where was L when I needed her? No, I don't need her.) Grr.

* * *

The two of them, Venom and Slash, are watching the city like they've done every night. But tonight will soon change to a different scene taking place. Venom is sure of it. They want something from her...more accurately, the symbiote wants something from her. The symbiote is very sure that Slash, after spending enough time with her, is _full _of adrenaline. Pumping with it in every vein. As well as with anger and a few more hateful emotions. But it hides this under a multitude of other thoughts so its current host, Eddie Brock, will not get suspicious. Suspicious that this symbiote might want someone else for host for a little bit...

Just a little...

Now she can pay back their deal, they think. Pay back her debt to them letting her go. Her and her sister. They can't wait.

* * *

A couple thugs below us are ours. They don't know yet, but they're dead. Their blood still travels their veins, unaware the heart's stopped pumping. I lick my jaws. I can taste it now, the bitter taste of human blood...

I don't like human flesh very much. It's very bitter. Much different from the sweet meat from a four-legged plant eater like a deer or cow, I reflect as I chew the meat in my jaws to shreds. What I do more is of a symbol to myself and others, including L. Venom, though...he enjoys every bit of it. The taste of brains is his favorite, the crunching of the skull to get to the 'sweet' delicacy. Since human brains taste bad, especially the ones of the drug-takers, I let him have them all.

It takes little time to finish our meal. I take the bones for myself, crunching them for bone marrow, the only good part of a human. Yum...my favorite. I notice Venom is staring at me. "What is it?" "We want to show you something. Come, follow us." He gets up and crawls up the side of the building. I leave the bones behind, following. I get to the top and see a puddle of oily black stuff. Where's Venom? I don't smell him..except for on the puddle. Get closer and it crawls. It can move? Crawls on my scales...changing everything.

* * *

Darkness. Falling. We remember...everything. And nothing. There's two of of us...no, three? That is new. Normally, there is only two. Host and symbiote. But now there is two hosts and one symbiote. All stuck together.

There is first: symbiote. Rejected, lost, trapped. By everyone the symbiote meets. First by its own kind, sent away because it wanted things to be better. More. Then by its first long-term host. Parker. _Parker? _The legendary Spiderman. _His name is Parker? _But driven away from its host, by its host, the only one it truly opened up to... Torn apart by raging emotions within the next. The symbiote can't help but wonder. Will Eddie Brock leave it too?

There is second: beast. Also rejected, hurt. _Same? _But also stubborn, tough, loyal. No matter how hurt, how much everyone tries to kill it, drive it away, the beast stays loyal protector. _How? _But sometimes...it can't. Because within the beast, there is another beast. One of rage and instinct. And no matter how much the beast attempts to hold it back, it always comes out in the end. The beast can't help but wonder. Will there be a time when it will only destroy and not protect?

There is third: girl. Reject like the rest, by her own kind like the first. Brave, loyal like the beast. _Really same? _Just wanting to fit in. Can't because of the beast with her. Keeps holding back, but can't hide it. _None of us can. _She's faster, stronger than others. And that's part of the reason they're all scared of her. Other than the monster. All the girl wants is friends. But there are none to turn to. The girl can't help but wonder. Will she ever be accepted?

* * *

The layers intertwine into them. They want...what do they want? They think, tail twined around their claws. They smile. They know what they want. They know who they are. Desire is stop S.H.I.E.L.D from hunting them. To do that, hurt leader. Nick Fury, some part of them recalls. In the helicarrier. As for who they are...? They are Venom!


	18. Never and Always Alone

It takes time to get there, but they make it. To New York City. Where their target is. Nick Fury, head of S.H.I.E.L.D. Not Peter Parker, Spiderman. They have bigger fish to fry than that traitor at the moment. And Carnage, too. They need to hurt him, slaughter their son, their foe.

Sticking to the side of a skyscraper, they scan the busy, day-lit streets. To their astonishment, the being sees Spiderman webbing above the cars. The temptation proves too strong. Their greatest foe right before their eyes, of this stronger than ever body. Stronger than anything the Spider has ever faced, certainly. _When did Spiderman became our "greatest enemy?" _They ignore the voice, preparing to pounce. And pounce they do. Right on their prey, far below.

* * *

Being dragged down to earth by some missile definitely had its downsides, and more than one. Spidey turns his head back to see what attacked him and nearly has a heart-attack. "What the heck!?" Thankfully, he still has the presence of mind to shoot a web beneath them. The culprit of his unintended fall glides down instead. That's right, glides. It seems that Venom has traded for a dragon body instead. He rears back and hisses, "Hello Parker."

"I thought you were in San Fransisco?" Great, now he sounds whiny. "We were. But we found this new host." He (it?) moves a claw down to display the obviously draconian body, not humanoid. "Now we're here to destroy you!" Typical. Why couldn't super-villains come up with anything new? It was always "blah, blah, kill you. blah, blah, rule the world." Or even, "blah, blah, I will have my revenge!" Boring.

The hero nearly avoids the hit that come his way, but is too slow. Without his 'spidey-senses', this spider was in trouble. Venom is faster, stronger in this new host. Not to mention, better armed. The claws that seem to be already part of this 'host' are longer, tougher. All to better to stab you with, my dear! Sharp pearlies...check. Heading for his face? Bad! Very bad.

* * *

The symbiote hisses in frustration as Spiderman dodges the bite. That's when they notice...they're fighting on a huge web. Like a trampoline. They smile. This is an advantage in plain sight. They move a little, testing its strength. The web is good and strong for now, but there's no telling how long it will hold. Indeed, everything around it that's holding the web up is already straining with effort. Only a little more...

They bounce a few times and jump high enough in the air for their wings to catch air. The Spider only has time to be puzzled for a few moments before the web crashes down below. With him still on it. Ha.

Flashing their fangs in victory, Venom moves in for the kill. _NO! Slash, we don't need to kill Spiderman. Why do we want to? _They growl irritability, swiping at the air. Stupid voice, trying to steal their win. By then, Spiderman has gotten up, ready to fight. The advantage of surprise is lost. But the voice seems familiar to one of the two...

_No. No me and I, just us. _They regain control. Spread out to grip, they land on claw tips, relaxing to take a more aggressive posture. "Spider!" They howl, but he is already gone. That is the Spider's strength, being small and fast. The only one against them, that is. Against others, the Spider had what he called his 'spidey sense.' And thanks to their old bonding, Venom had their own as well. The host's senses were superb, complimenting the ability.

Prefect for smashing one little Spider.

* * *

Man, this was going to be one of those days. Peter could just tell. Minding his own business wasn't always the best path to take when he hadn't been attacked in days. He should have known that was begging the universe to send something to mess up his life...

Like a newly evolved Venom, for example. If he survived this, this was going in the 'try-to-forget' bin as quickly as possible. That's where half of this stuff went.

He actually might need back-up for once to handle this.

* * *

There is trouble. Part of the host rebels against the united organism that is Venom. For a second, part of the symbiote actually pulls away from a wing, revealing dark brownish-red membrane underneath. Spiderman uses the distraction quite well, punching the now unprotected wing. They hiss and the wing is quickly covered again in black and white lines. The chance is gone...almost.

_Help...somebody help us! _A cry of mental pain goes unheard. By the outside world that is. The symbiote hears it just fine and goes to hunt the strand of rebellion down. Only to find, when it corners it, the rest of the host is there too, watching with yellow eyes. Waiting to see how this show-down will end.

The string is pinned. Shrieking, beneath the symbiote's greater mental prowess in the host mind. The end is all but certain.

With a snarl, the watching mind attacks, taking advantage of its focus on the small unimportant rebel. Surprised, the symbiote barely manages to hold its own, now that the small mind under it has started attacking too. _L..._ The yellow eyes remember a name of the past that has been hidden behind a black symbiotic curtain. _Slash..._ Fangs bared, she bites down hard on the piece of squirming goo in her mouth...

* * *

Venom stops pursuing the Spider. Parker watches, in no small amazement, as its skin writhes with worms before finally peeling away from crimson scale. The creature, now freed from symbiote control, pays no attention to him, going after the alien goo instead.

The thing smushes the puddle a few times before turning to the Spider. Yellow eyes regard the masked 'vigilante' with weariness. "I'm tired of fighting, Spider. Something I thought would never come." Rough growling voice, just as he recalls it. "Living in a constant battle has its disadvantages. Maybe L was right." The scales shrink away to make way for pale skin. It takes almost no time at all, but for the watching bystanders, the transformation seems to take years to complete. "Maybe the pain isn't the answer." Yellow burning eyes are last to turn, becoming hazel human ones. "But then, what is?" A final hoarse whisper.

A naked teenage girl lies in the street, surrounded by chaos. Red hair with scarred skin. Hazel eyes that have seen too much. Now staring, half asleep at the blushing teenage hero before her. "We did alright, didn't we, Spiderman?" Peter Parker looks around at the damage that has been done by the battle. "Sorta of. Not a bad fighter." She smiles, her eyes dipping into dreams. "Good. She loves to fight well."

* * *

S.H.I.E.L.D shows up soon enough to pick up the pieces. The girl is awake now, being questioned by yet another S.H.I.E.L.D agent. Wrapped in a blanket, there are few answers to be gleaned from her. Except her name. Llewellyn, the girl that went missing after running from two agents. Now currently sitting here, with no clothes, after transforming back into a human from some mini dragon form.

"I told you, you can't have her. She's sleeping!" Apparently, L went bonkers a while ago. She glares at the agent. "I know you think I'm crazy. So what? I am not going to tell you a lie to make you feel comfortable." Well, you couldn't say she wasn't perceptive. She holds out her hands. "Go ahead and arrest me. We destroy a lot of New York, we go to jail. Got that. So please, stop talking."

The agent sputters, shocked by the girl's remarks. That's when Director Fury steps in. After a few minutes conserving with her, she nods and gets up, following the agent away. "Whoa, Nick, didn't know you had it in you. What'd you say?" The director gives Spidey his infamous one-eyed glare. "I suggested that we might be able to help her with her condition."


	19. Secrets and Found

_I don't like it here. These people think I'm a condition. Let's leave. _Slash's complaints ruin whatever semblance of peace my mind was in. _But they're trying to help us! _I argue back. She counters it with, _Help YOU, not me. With our luck, these people are __studying us to figure out how to make more. _Hissing, rasping of cold scales as her mental self grows closer to mine. All in my head, of course. _YOU make all the choices. _I gasp, drawing a few odd glances from those around me. _I do not! You decided to...eat people. _She shows fang. Pleased, most likely of the effect it has on my head. _Real choices, not small petty ones. I am bound to you and tried to live my life. You are jealous! _

_WHAT?! How am I jealous?! _Without my noticing it, reddish scales have begun to run up my arms. Machines around beep wildly as surrounding scientists try to find the cause. _Since all around me consider me a simple animal, a condition if you will, I am free to do as I wish while you cannot. I am a monster surrounded by laws for a different species, none knowing the truth. You want that freedom. _

Scales are all over me now, not slowing, not stopping. _Slash, get out of here! _A smirk. _Can't, remember? I'm a condition. _The transformation is almost complete. Slash's mind bubbles up to knock mine out of the way to take control.

* * *

Stupid humans blabbing all over the place. I have no wish to stay with them another second. I break off all the wires surrounding me, and several alarms go off. I roll my eyes in total disbelief of how stupid they are. Think their special forces can stop me when I've gone toe-to-toe with some of the most dangerous people out there and lived? Stupid.

Sure enough, the back-up arrives. I take them out without much effort, slinging a table at them. In contempt, I let them live. Only the most dangerous of my foes die by my claws. I walk out, scenting the air to find what I am looking for. Aha! There it is! I take the right path, deeper into this place, instead of out. There's something I need to do first...

* * *

The symbiote moves unhappily inside its glass cage. How it wished that Eddie was here. It knew that he probably was here already but couldn't get in without being bonded. The only way was to somehow find an escape route...

The door opens. It tenses up, waiting for some S.H.I.E.L.D lackey to come in to conduct more tests. But the intruder is instead someone it thought it would never see again. Slash.

She walks over, using her claws to smash the glass. She grins, withdrawing them when the symbiote reaches for them. "I'm not going through that again, traitor. All I want is you to find your way back to your current host. Eddie Brock. But until then, hitch a ride." Slash puts her claws down to get swamped by the black liquid.

_Why come back for me? _The symbiote asks. It tastes a feeling of...betrayal. Anger that the symbiote took over her without asking. Anger about lack of control. Why is she so angry if they never cared about each other? And to its surprise, the symbiote feels hurt by Slash's mistrust. Shouldn't care. The answer is short. _To pay back a debt. Nothing more, nothing less. Unless...you can help me kill Carnage.  
_

The symbiote thinks it over. With a strong host like this verses a weaker human one, killing its offspring will be easy. Well, easier. _To do so, we must bond to take him down._

Immediately, Slash's mind withdraws. _No. I won't do that. I can let him survive a little longer. _The symbiote concedes...for now. _Very well. _It crawls to a space on her back where she folds her wings up over it to conceal the symbiote. Time for her to fight and crash a way out. Not much of a challenge.

* * *

The base is a mess. Both prisoners have gotten away. Everything is destroyed and there are supposedly highly trained S.H.I.E.L.D agents lying all over the place.

Nick Fury is not happy. At all. Neither is the Council.

* * *

I'm in control. Barely. The only reason I am is that Slash wants to avoid the extra attention that comes with her appearance I hate her. Despise her. If there was a way for me to live, I would kill her. She's ruined everything! My home is gone...forever. Friends most likely dead and gone. I will forever be alone. Except for her. The monster that destroyed it all.

It's all her fault!

I have crappy clothes and a sticky symbiote hiding in a ragged purse I found. I don't want that thing touching my skin. Not after what happened last time. A nearby coffee place catches my attention. I don't know why, but I'm supposed to be there. Stupid symbiote, probably manipulating my thoughts. Entering the place, my eyes instantly draw to large blonde guy sitting by himself. He looks...lonely, in a way, with everyone sitting around trying not to look at him.

Still hoping for company, even when none will approach him. Except me. He looks startled as I walk up to him. "I believe I have something of yours." I reach a hand into the purse, ready to take out the excited symbiote. The man notices the motion and quickly says, "Let me talk to you first. Then give it back." So he already knows what this is? What the heck?

The symbiote sinks to the bottom of the bag, rejected. I can't help but feel a little disgusted by the action. Man up, puddle. I've been through worse. It's acting like its dying, for goodness' sake. _Have you ever been rejected by the only person you've ever cared about? Protected, even? _Slash chips in suddenly. _Since when have you gone through that? And besides, I thought you hated the slime puddle. Remember what it did? _She goes silent. For what reason, I have no idea. Normally she _has _to have the last word.

"My name's Eddie Brock. Yours?"


End file.
